Remembering Effingham football coach Bob Griffith and his lasting legacy in Georgia

Robert Griffith Sr., the longtime Effingham County football coach known for his devotion to his family, the sport and his fellow coaches and players, died on Monday in Statesboro. He was 79.

Affectionately known as "Griff," the former Virginia Tech team captain coached at Effingham County High from 1981-1998, compiling a record of 129-67 in 18 seasons as he set the school record for coaching wins. He also coached at Appling County for nine seasons and for three years at Colquitt County. A member of the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, he had a career record of 213-111-1 in 30 seasons.

Griffith was named the Region 3-AAAA Coach of the Year in 1987, 1990 and 1995. He was the state’s Coach of the Year in 1987 when his Effingham squad set a school mark with a 14-1 record as the Rebels reached the Class 4A state finals, the only state championship appearance in school history.

But coaching the game was about much more than wins and losses for Griffith, who was honored before a 2022 game with cross-county rival South Effingham as Effingham County renamed its facility Rebel Field at Bob Griffith Stadium in a ceremony attended by Griffith and his family. The stadium is now known as "The Griff."

Griffith was hired at Georgia Tech in 2003 as a director of high school relations, where he served full-time through 2006. He was proud of a scholarship established in his name at Georgia Tech that is endowed by several of his former players.

Effingham renames stadium after coach 'A small tribute to a great man.' Effingham Co. renames football field for former coach

Chance Ward, now a minister at Goshen United Methodist Church in Rincon, was an assistant under Griffith from 1993-1998 and said Griffith's impact on those he worked with went far beyond the football field.

"Coach Griffith was a phenomenal man, and a tremendous leader," Ward said. "He was the type of leader who didn't have to say a whole lot, but when he did people would listen. He would walk the sidelines quietly, but he knew everything that was happening on the field. He was an old school coach who didn't wear a headset, and he just had that presence about him."

Buddy Holder went up against Coach Griffith and his Rebel squad in his playing days at Evans High School and then served as an assistant for two seasons with Griffith in 1996 and 1997 before eventually taking over as the Effingham head coach from 2013-2020.

"He was still always helping out the program coming out to spring practices and helping us with fundraising at golf tournaments," Holder said. "We brought back the uniforms and helmets from his era to our team, and he was still such a presence.

"As a coach, he had a style that reminded me of Tom Landry of the Cowboys. He never got flustered, and the patient, calm approach he had was always reassuring to his fellow coaches. The way he acted you always felt like you were in the game."

After his college career at Virginia Tech, Griffith served in the Army and went to Vietnam for a year and received the Army Commendation Medal with "V" for Valor, the Bronze Star and the National Defense Award.

The service he provided to his country extended to his career as a coach, where he constantly put others before himself, Ward said.

"He cared deeply about his family, his players and fellow coaches and the students he worked with," Ward said. "He had this slogan 'Rebel Football, it's more than just a game,' and I didn't really appreciate what it meant at the time. But 30 years later, I understand.

"It wasn't just about football for Coach Griffith, he used the game as a platform to help shape the lives of the young people he worked with. He helped mold his players to become successful men, husbands and fathers. I hope we can continue to build on his legacy."

Griffith is survived by his wife of 54 years, Stella Massee Griffith; his children, Robert Griffith (Kim) of Clyo; Katharine Griffith Brown (Kelly) of Statesboro; and Bob Massee (Lauren) of Statesboro. He was a grandfather to Casey Griffith (Emily), Katharine Joy McCullough (Matthew), Jordan Griffith (Shelby), Bailey Brown, Cater Massee, Sam Massee; and great-grandson, River Griffith. Step-grandchildren are Josh Brown (Declan and Paisley), Kham Bell (Victoria).

The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro.

The funeral service will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home in Statesboro. The family will receive visitors from 10 a.m. until the funeral hour. Interment will follow in Bulloch Memorial Gardens.

Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Remembering former Effingham football coach Bob Griffith