Vicksburg's Offord Jr. Beginning 50th, Final Season Coaching Teams to Net Gains
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
March 26, 2025
VICKSBURG — Warner Offord Jr.’s was hardly impressed the first time he played tennis.
That was 55 years ago, when he was heading into his sophomore year at Paw Paw High School.
Still, he continued to play with neighbor boys all that summer, and figured it would end there – until the following spring sports season, when he joined the tennis team.
“I go, it’s not a bad sport after all,” he laughed.
Offord ended up at No. 1 singles his final three years at Paw Paw, graduating in 1973.
Now, at age 70, he is ready to retire at the end of the upcoming Vicksburg’s girls season after 50 years of coaching tennis.
After graduating from Paw Paw, Offord stayed in the area, helping the basketball team and coaching boys and girls tennis there. He coached at his alma mater 28 years, first as an assistant before taking over the tennis programs.
When he heard about a basketball coaching opening at Vicksburg 22 years ago, he applied for the job.
He did not get the head hoops gig, but athletic director Mike Roy offered him a job coaching the girls tennis team.
“I said I’ve got to talk to my wife (Linda Connor-Offord),” Offord said. “I don’t do nothing without talking to my wife, or I’ll be in the doghouse.”
Two days later, the boys tennis coach resigned and Roy offered Offord that job as well.
Once again he consulted his wife, who he gave him the thumbs up.
Offord soon discovered there is a bit of a difference between coaching boys and girls.
“Girls are feisty,” he said. “Girls listen to you. Boys, sometimes they want to do their own thing. When they do that, I say ‘end zone to end zone’ and then they get back to, ‘OK, we’re going to listen to our coach now.’”
He also has rules on the court.
“I believe in discipline. If you curse on the court, it’s an automatic two miles,” he said. “If you throw your racket, it’s an automatic two miles.
“No matter what, we’re going to run. I try to get the kids in shape for the third set.”
With the girls season just underway, Offord has some definite goals.
“We’re going to try to win (Wolverine) conference for the first time in school history,” he said. “The boys did it last year for the first time.
“Before I leave, I’d like to bring home that Regional trophy for the girls. It would be nice to bring home that trophy my last year.”
He is also challenging the girls not only to get back to the MHSAA Finals, but to improve on last year’s finish.
“Two years ago we finished 18th (in Lower Peninsula Division 3). Last year, I told the girls, let’s get up to 15th of 24 teams, and we got 14th.
“This year, if we go to state again, I’m going to tell then, let’s get down to 10.”
Game changer
Offord said today’s high school players are faster and stronger than when he picked up tennis because they use the weight room and do conditioning.
The equipment also has evolved.
“If I had the racket they have now and I could take that back in the ’70s, the racket is so big,” he said. “I had an Arthur Ashe (wooden) racket, I had a Wilson T3000 racket, I had a Kramer and I had a Davis.
“The technology now is unbelievable.”
Offord, who is affectionately called “Doctor O” or the abbreviated “Doc O” by the Vicksburg community, has changed with the times.
“Dr. O’s unwavering passion and exceptional dedication have transformed the program,” Roy said. “His deep understanding of the game, paired with his ability to teach strategy at an elite level, sets him apart.
“Beyond his technical expertise, Dr. O instills a culture of excellence by holding athletes to high standards while maintaining fairness, consistency, and approachability – earning the trust and respect of his team.”
Roy noted that Offord has support around him.
“Since taking the reins, Dr. O has cultivated a winning culture, building on the foundation laid by coach Scott Wills, who continues to lead our summer youth programs,” Roy said.
“Recognizing the importance of strong leadership, Dr. O brought in Nick Foley, a former standout at Sturgis, as his assistant. Together these three men have ignited a culture shift, elevating the team to compete at an exceptional level. Their collective vision, tireless work ethic and commitment to growth has positioned the program for sustained success.”
Offord said he learned from the coaches he had growing up, who instilled not only a competitive spirit but confidence in playing and acceptable conduct on the court.
He mentioned retired Allegan tennis coach Gary Ellis as a mentor.
“Anytime I needed to know anything about tennis, I’d call him and he always had the answer,” Offord said. “I thought the world of him and what he did for that program. I’m trying to do the same thing at Vicksburg.”
Ellis said that Offord “definitely got the kids excited about playing tennis for Vicksburg and enjoying the sport. His kids get better and better during the season.”
The players at Vicksburg and Paw Paw are not the only ones who blossomed under Offord’s coaching.
His son, Warner Offord III, is an assistant to Matt Boven at Mattawan and has been a certified tennis pro for 20 years.
One final run
Offord Jr.’s decision to retire after half a century came at a perfect time, said senior Scarlett Hosner, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles player.
“I feel it’s a good ending point because he coached my sister (Josephine, a 2016 grad), too, and he saw me growing up playing tennis,” Hosner said. “It’s like a full-circle moment because it’s my last year and his last year.
“He brings really positive energy. He’s such a nice, fun guy. He makes us enjoy the game, but he can also be serious at times. When we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing, he’s like getting on us.”
In retirement, Offord and his wife plan to do some traveling because “we want to enjoy life while we’re young,” he said.
“It’s been a wonderful 50 years coaching tennis, and it’s going to be sad. It hasn’t hit me yet for the boys, and once the girls season is over, then it will probably really hit me.
“I take great pride in seeing my players excel professionally, academically and as an athlete. I feel good knowing I played a part in that person’s success.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Vicksburg girls tennis coach Warner Offord Jr. talks with his team at the start of this spring season. (2) Offord and son Warner Offord III hold up their Regional championship trophy won for Paw Paw in 2003. (3) Offord hits with his players during practice. (4) Scarlett Hosner headshot. (Current photos by Pam Shebest; 2003 photo courtesy of Warner Offord Jr.)
Niles' Arnold Remembered as Teacher & Leader, 'Doing Exactly What He was Meant To Do'
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
January 13, 2026
NILES – Throughout his 22-year career coaching varsity girls basketball at Niles High School, Jim Arnold required one thing from his players.
Just have fun.
"Jim always stressed to his players that the one thing he wanted them to do when on the floor was to just have fun playing the game," said George Brawley, who served 15 seasons as one of Arnold's assistant coaches at various levels.
Arnold, 81, died Dec. 9 following an extended illness.
But throughout his career, Arnold's teams did much more than just enjoy themselves. The Benton Harbor native built a highly-successful program at Niles, where he achieved an overall win-loss record of 360-139 from 1986-2008, with 19 winning seasons. Under Arnold's watch, the Vikings captured seven conference titles, 10 District championships – including nine straight from 1997-2005 – and five Regional crowns.
Among Arnold's other accomplishments were being named Class B Coach of The Year by The Associated Press in 1998 and receiving honorable mention in 1997, along with selection by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan as Region 5 Coach of the Year in 2002 and 2004. He was also named conference Coach of the Year seven times and received the Herb Quade Memorial Sportsmanship Award for the 2002-2003 season.
Arnold also coached Niles to back-to-back District championships in softball in 1993 and 1994.
As young athlete himself, Arnold excelled on the baseball diamond. A successful player while at Benton Harbor, he also played on Twin City American Legion teams and was known as a team captain and a coach on the field. Arnold later had an invitation to try out at the professional level with the Baltimore Orioles, but an injury ended his pursuit of that dream.
Arnold later played third base for Bargain Center, a slow-pitch softball team that won a regional championship and went on to play in the national title game in St. Louis, Mo.
His daughters Sonya and Allison were among the athletes that Arnold mentored during his coaching career. Sonya (Martinez), his oldest daughter, played for her father in eighth grade.
"He made the game fun, and you wanted to do your best because you didn't want to disappoint him. He poured his heart into each and every practice and game because preparation mattered to him. He demanded excellence, and every player became better because of his coaching ability," said Martinez, a 1986 Niles graduate.
Allison (Clay) his youngest daughter, played on the 1990 Niles varsity squad that finished 25-1, winning conference, District and Regional titles. She is a 1991 graduate.
"It was awesome playing for my dad. Some of my best memories in my life were during that time,” Clay said. “He had high standards and inspired others to be the best version of themselves. He put his heart and soul into what he did, and I had a front-row seat to that."
Linda Arnold has fond memories as a coach's wife.
"I loved watching my husband coach because of the joy it brought him. His passion, intensity and the love he had for his players was genuine,” she said. “It was more than a game. It was more about developing players in the area of discipline, teamwork and giving your all. Even in the busiest part of the season, he always made me feel like a priority. I didn't just watch a coach. I watched a man doing exactly what he was meant to do.
"My husband coached with passion, but he loved his family with intention. My girls would go to his practices and we all attended his games, and we had the team over for team dinners. His players were a part of our extended family. He made sure we felt a part. He was the best coach in the world, and he was mine."
Jim Arnold was highly respected by his coaching peers. He was kind and treated everyone with dignity. The community of Niles knew what he stood for and they knew his standards were high. He was admired for his preparation and understanding of the game as well as his commitment to doing things the right way. He was strict but fair and treated everyone the same, whether you were the star player or last one off the bench, Martinez explained.
"Developing his players' character was far more important to him than winning," she said. "Dad lived what he taught. He modeled humility, hard work and lived a life of integrity. He made people better by being a part of their lives."
When Jim Arnold first began his junior high teaching career in Niles, he also coached the boys junior high basketball team. There were no girls basketball teams at the time, so a girl tried out for the boys team. She was good enough to make the team, so Arnold kept her. The following school year, the principal asked Arnold to organize a girls team – and the rest was history.
Former Niles varsity girls basketball coach Jessica Johnson, a teammate of Clay’s, recalls the experience of playing for Coach Arnold.
"Coach Arnold taught us discipline, resilience and always required 110 percent effort from you. He would instill confidence in you while still holding you accountable," said Johnson, now an assistant women’s basketball coach at Southwestern Michigan College.
Johnson recalls Arnold's use of comic strips as a teaching tool to help his players improve upon their mistakes.
"If you had a game where you didn't shoot very well or took questionable shots, he would place pictures of bricks in the gym the day following the game," Johnson said.
"Coach Arnold went out of his way to build that relationship and trust with his players. He gave us lessons that extended way beyond the court that made us better people."
Mark Haase, a Niles alumnus and the current Vikings head varsity boys basketball coach, also had the privilege of playing for Arnold.
"I played freshman basketball for Coach Arnold. It was one of the most disciplined and well-conditioned teams I ever played on. He ran a tight ship, but it was done out of love and concern for his players. He has a great family and is a Niles legend," Haase said.
Niles athletic director Matt Brawley referred to Arnold as an amazing teacher, coach and individual in the school and community.
"Coach Arnold would never ask you to do anything he wouldn't do. He was very structured and expected a lot out of his players, and he got results without excuses,” Brawley said. “He was a true leader of Niles athletics. He was an unbelievably kind and humble individual.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Jim Arnold poses for a photo with his granddaughters following a Niles girls basketball game. (Middle) Arnold signals for a timeout. (Below) Linda and Jim Arnold, seated (middle) take a photo with their daughters and their families. (Photos courtesy of the Niles athletic department and Arnold family.)