* - Honorary Member
“He took a chance on me as a student when other schools would not… I owe Dick Wagner a great debt of gratitude for helping me become the student, athlete, and professional that I have become.”
Dick Wagner came to Lyndon State College in 1968. Over the course of 12 years, he served the college as dean of students, director of institutional research and development, and dean of admissions. Perhaps, most important to those who are gathered here tonight, was Dick’s job as ski program director and lacrosse coach. It is evident in the letters of nomination received for tonight’s honor that Dick’s coaching and mentoring of Lyndon State students has left a lasting and extraordinary impression on many.
According to Mat Miller ’81, “Daddy Wags,” as his teams fondly called him, was a man of vision and a man ahead of his time, as he used sports as an avenue to bring student-athletes to the Northeast Kingdom to gain an education and be part of a budding athletic program.
As the ski coach, Dick delivered a wealth of talent and guided his team to be one of the top ski teams in any division in New England while he was at the helm. Richard Carlson ’79 likes to refer to him as The Legend in LSC skiing. John Olinski ’79 credits Dick for providing him and his teammates with the platform to perform on a regional and national level. “His motivation was contagious…We would go through many a wall for Wags!”
Carlson also refers to Dick as his mentor. “He was awesome at managing a team of many big and contrasting egos. He loved the sport so much and it was always evident in his eyes and enthusiasm.” Kevin McGee ’81 was also impacted by this passion. He reflects, “My love of the game, the friendships that I made as a player and the bonds that I created with my players as a coach are directly attributable to Dick Wagner.”
Miller recalls that coaching the LSC lacrosse team was a little more challenging than the ski team. “Dick could always get a core of players to form a team. His biggest hurdle was to develop a group of athletes at Lyndon who had no lacrosse experience but were willing to take on a challenge and be successful. And he did this magnificently!” McGee agrees. “Dick had an uncanny knack for getting the very best from those athletes that were fortunate to be coached by him.”
Dick’s love for the game of lacrosse is unwavering. In 2001, he was instrumental in reviving the lacrosse program at St. Johnsbury Academy and in 2005, he took on the task of developing a budget for the proposed lacrosse team at Lyndon State. This fall, the men’s lacrosse team is practicing for the first time in many years. No doubt, this brings a smile to Dick’s face. And it’s about time.
Dick and his wife, Patricia ’79, reside in East Burke, Vermont.
