As you may know, Coach Rod Rohl passed away Monday, November 2, 2009 after a long struggle with his health.   I wrote this dedication at the request of the Cattaraugus/Chautauqua County Football League.  The dedication was to be presented with a plaque to Coach Rohl today at Ralph Wilson Stadium, at the half time of the first football play-off game.   Mr. Steve Bell, Larry and Brandon Cassidy will be there to accept on behalf of Hinsdale.

When you say the name Rod Rohl in the Southern Tier, it is always associated with a great past time, Hinsdale Bobcat Football.  Rod or “Coach” as he is referred to, has always been what many consider to be “old school”  in the best sense of the terminology.

Rod is always interested in his football program and fought very hard over the past several years to keep it alive. It has been those “old school” values that kept his program as one of the top programs in the D League for almost thirty seasons.   The values of tradition, discipline and excellence were always at he top of the list of things to teach his players.   Rod is very good at what he does.

A Lancaster native, Rod moved to Hinsdale, N.Y in 1958, where he took a teaching job with Hinsdale Central School, as an Industrial Arts Teacher.  This was the beginning of a long and very prosperous life for Rod.   In 1962 he married Judith Cathyrin Long, and over the next 40 years they raised four kids; Randy, Jami, Jill, and Jeanie.  In addition Rod and Judith were able to enjoy their twelve grandchildren. Judith passed away in 2002.   Rohl is not only a success as a father, husband and teacher, he is a success as a coach……a “Coaches Coach”

Rod spent thirty one seasons as head coach for the Bobcats.   In those thirty one seasons he was able to mass a record of 143-79-6.    In addition, eleven of those years were championship years, with three undefeated seasons which included a 24 game winning streak.  Cattaraugus County acknowledged his tremendous achievements as a coach seven times, naming him Cattaraugus County Coach of the year.  Other accolades include the fact that in 1990 he was named W.K.B.W. Super Seven Coach of the year and the Olean Times Herald, Man of the Year, the same year he retired from teaching, and from football.  Rod Rohl has also been given the honor of coaching the New York State Big Thirty Football Team, five times, a great honor for any coach, but one that is cherished by Rod.  Rod is also an inductee for the Cattaraugus County Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Hinsdale Central School Athletic Wall of Fame.

Rod retired as a very successful teacher in 1990.  He also retired as Athletic Director, a position he had taken on in 1975.  In that same year, he made the decision to begin his retirement from football.   However, he never really left the program.  In many ways, Rod has been this program for 31 seasons. During the very early 1990s, the football program, ran into a numbers problem and the helmets and jerseys were hung up for good.  Or so people thought.   In the 05-06 school year, after much fundraising by the Blue Force Boosters Club and much community pleading, football returned to Hinsdale, and so did Rod Rohl, as Coach of the Bobcats.

The first season was spent as a learning experience and the Bobcats were considered to be J.V.   However in the 07-08 season, Rohl had put together, what would be his final winning team.   The team went 6-1 on the regular season and went on to play Portville in the “D” Bowl.   Unfortunately, Hinsdale was unable to field a team during the 2009 season due to numbers.   However Coach Rohls health was of much concern.

Coach Rohl has struggled with health problems over the last several years, and spent most of this past summer in the hospital after an episode with his heart, left him unresponsive on a golf course.  He was revived by a friend and assistant coach Mike Ozogar.   Coach Rohl underwent heart surgery and other procedures.  After a very long summer, Rod is home in Hinsdale with his kids and Grandkids.   After a long and very successful career as head coach of the Bobcats, Rod has decided it is time to retire.

When you say football in Hinsdale, immediately people think of Rod Rohl.   Most whom have played for him over the years have great stories about a coaching decision Rod made, or a great play he may have come up with.  All agree that Rod is a mans man, and a coaches coach, and all of is friends are very happy to call him their friend.