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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Calendar: Saturday, Oct. 25 Helman students illustrate kindness, love Newly renovated Ashland Hills hosts open house SOU's 'Count Me In' campaign raises $210,000 Aquatics backer announces write-in candidacy for Parks & Rec board Education Helman students illustrate kindness, love SOU's 'Count Me In' campaign raises $210,000 Fun, fundraising and art at Helman Elementary School Ashland mourns death of former coach Stan Gida Goal not reached, but don't count out 'Count Me In' yet Environment Rite Aid cub well, could come back to southern Oregon Report: Smaller streams need further protection Bear cub wanders into Rite Aid Kalmiopsis' future at stake if mining goes forward Fires and forests evolved together, but now people are in the mix Business Newly renovated Ashland Hills hosts open house Hot Stuff Espresso Blue Toba erupts onto dining scene Interim president leads in a different direction Silvio Calabi: Acura’s 2015 TLX is two cars in one Politics and elections Aquatics backer announces write-in candidacy for Parks & Rec board Richardson accuses Kitzhaber of 'corruption' in final debate Stricker steps down from Talent council Merkley-Wehby to debate in Medford Ashland land use rule review continues State News Nation - World Obituaries Ronald J. 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Our View: Fix the 'free speech zone' ... Teaching the First Amendment ... Calendar: Saturday, Oct. 25 ... Our View: Fix the 'free speech zone' ... Teaching the First Amendment ... Ashland mourns death of former coach Stan Gida By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 23, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Oct 23, 2014 at 1:52 PM By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 23, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Oct 23, 2014 at 1:52 PM » Social News A steady stream of guests flowed in and out of the Gida household Tuesday – coaches, former players and close friends, paying their respects to a man described as a teddy bear of a football coach, tough enough to play for the San Francisco 49ers and gentle enough to carry his daughter on his back while leading line drills. Stan Gida, who coached countless football players locally for more than 20 years at both Southern Oregon University and Ashland High and had been an assistant coach at Phoenix High since 2010, suffered a massive stroke while driving to practice on Monday and died Tuesday at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford. He was 63. A longtime assistant coach who specialized in the work in the trenches, Gida helped the Ashland High football team come out of nowhere to win the 1998 state title, the Grizzlies’ third and what turned out to be final big-school (Class 4A) championship. A former college and professional offensive lineman, Gida could certainly teach the proper technique plus a million tricks of the trade, but it was his sly sense of humor, easy going nature and ability to connect with players that made him a beloved figure locally. Word of his death spread quickly Tuesday afternoon and by that evening his Facebook page was inundated with messages from past acquaintances, including scores of former players who never forgot the man who, in his own unique way, helped prepare them for battle. “He could walk the fine line of being able to crack jokes, or make fun of us for those idiosyncrasies that make teenagers a pain in the ass, but at the same time we still respected him,” read one message. “He gave me a template for how to teach players that I use still as a club volleyball coach.” Another read: “He was truly a one-of-a-kind and a force of nature, and his love showed clearly through his eyes anytime you ran into him. So many hilarious insults, hand-crushing handshakes and beat-downs I’ve taken from him, it makes me laugh. … We love you Coach Gida and couldn’t possibly forget you! You are still teaching me life lessons.” There were many more. Gida’s wife of 24 years, Kathleen, 48, said he felt funny while driving to practice alone Monday and was able to safely pull off to the side of the road. An Oregon state trooper happened to be nearby and Gida was quickly transported to ARRMC, but the severity of the stroke proved too much to overcome. “It was like a lightning bolt coming out of nowhere,” Kathleen Gida said. “Everything changes.” She’s hoping to arrange a memorial service that would take place at Phoenix High School in early November, but nothing’s been finalized. As Gida fought for his life well-wishers, including former Ashland High football coach and athletic director Jim Nagel, came and went. Kathleen Gida and their two daughters, Allison, 23, and Kelsey, 18, were by his side when he was taken off life support. The show of community support both through social media and in person wasn’t a surprise to Kathleen Gida. “Well, he was an amazing man,” she said. “We knew him as a father and a husband and we supported him coaching football and we knew he was making a difference, but it’s been overwhelming hearing how many lives he touched and how much of an impact he had.” He also had an impact at home. Both his daughters made athletics a big part of their lives, and both said their dad was a major reason why. Kelsey Gida also had a passion for theater. Her dad’s minor in college was theater arts. “My dad loved watching me and Kelsey play in our sports and he was always willing to do and support whatever decision I made, whether it was with sports or not,” said Allison Gida, a star basketball and water polo player at Ashland High who went on to play basketball at the University of Utah and Southern Oregon University. “He was always in my corner and my number one fan.” After leaving SOU in the early 90s Gida was snatched up by Nagel at AHS, where he helped maintain one of the best prep football programs in the state. Everything fell into place in 1998, when the Grizzlies completed an undefeated season with an overtime win in the state championship game. Current head football coach Charlie Hall was on Nagel’s staff at the time and was impressed with Gida’s ability to find a common ground with the players he coached. After Hall was hired to take over the Grizzlies in 2005 he convinced Gida to come back. In one of Ashland’s many football traditions — one which has carried over from the Nagel years — a coach nails a wooden sword to the locker room wall following a victory. On Wednesday, a wooden sword was hammered into the paw in the middle of Walter A. Phillips Field, an impromptu salute Gida. “You can’t think about Stan and not get a smile on your face,” Hall said. “His humor and his sarcasm — he just connected with players in that way. He probably said things that you can’t get away with in this day and age, but he had a passion for kids, and he connected with kids who had a rough go. Those were the kids that Stan really reached out to.” Nagel, who’s Kelsey Gida’s godfather, said Stan Gida’s sense of humor was his secret weapon. Once, not long after Gida first arrived at Ashland High, Nagel heard his new line coach addressing his players during a drill. He used what Nagel described as “colorful language,” - not swear words, but “screwy stuff, calling them bumpernickles and some stuff like that.” Nagel wasn’t sure what to make of it, so he asked the players. Their reaction put Nagel at ease. “They said, ‘We love playing for coach Gida — he makes us laugh, he makes us work hard,’” Nagel said. “He made the game fun for the kids. He always had a joke, he always had a one-liner. He was just special that way. And he had a heart of gold.” Joe Zavala can be reached at 541-776-4469 or [email protected]. By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By Joe Zavala Ashland Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 23, 2014 @ 2:00 am Updated Oct 23, 2014 at 1:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football Forsett a Must-Start vs. Bengals Oct. 24, 2014 at 11:37 pm Sanders' Exploding Fantasy Value Makes Him Perfect Sell-High WR Oct. 24, 2014 at 8:51 pm Making the Call on Toughest Fantasy Plays Oct. 24, 2014 at 6:03 pm Updated Fantasy Outlook for Saints RBs Oct. 24, 2014 at 4:38 pm Top 10 Fantasy Players at Each Position Oct. 24, 2014 at 12:00 pm Fantasy Projections for Players with Great Matchups Oct. 24, 2014 at 12:00 pm calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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