Williamsburg football coach Vaughn Hatcher, center left, huddles with a group of his players at the end of a practice days before their homecoming game.
Vaughn walks with the Yellow Jackets’ starting quarterback Nate Goodin as they return to their locker room at the end of practice.
Vaughn looks out over his players during practice.
Vaughn looks out over his players as they run drills during practice in preparation for their homecoming game.
A photo of Vaughn and his wife, Amy's wedding rests on a shelf in his coach's office among a variety of knick-knacks, clippings and awards from his high school and college football career.
Vaughn rests in the Yellow Jackets field house after practice.
In the early morning hours before the start of classes, Vaughn waits outside the school's gymnasium as he greets students being dropped off by their parents. Vaughn has been teaching at the school for 25 years and attended the school himself as a child.
Freshmen Alivia Mills, 15, left, and Emily Craft, 15, right, listen as Vaughn tutors them through math homework in his classroom.
Vaughn answers a phone call between periods in the hallway outside his classroom.
Vaughn tutors his students through their homework in his classroom.
A student high-fives Vaughn as he watches students walk through the halls to their next class between periods.
Vaughn points to himself in a football team photo from 1994 while giving a tour of the school's memorial hallway. The 1994 team was the first in school history to have an undefeated season and won that year's district championship.
Amy and Vaughn share a moment before the start of the Yellow Jackets' homecoming game. During each game at half time, Vaughn meets Amy on the sideline before sharing a word with anyone else.
Amy, Vaughn and their youngest son, Reece, 15, watch a Thursday night football game while relaxing at home.
Williamsburg Yellow Jackets, from left, left tackle Adrien Parker, 18, linebacker Landon Lowrie, 17, and linebacker Dawson Stephens rest in the film room of the Williamsburg City School field house before their homecoming game. The trio had retreated to one of the quietest rooms to avoid distraction and rest before kickoff. "I don't like how they turn on the music so early," Landon says. "If I hype myself up before the game, I won't be hyped during the game."
Williamsburg Yellow Jackets look to Vaughn as he gives them a pep talk in the locker room before the start of their homecoming game.
Reece listens to music as he pumps himself up before the start of the Yellow Jackets' homecoming game.
Vaughn speaks to a defensive lineman on the sideline during their homecoming game.
Vaughn yells out instructions from the sideline during the Yellow Jackets’ homecoming game.
Kind Words, Big Differences
One kind word can change a life in Whitley County. At least that’s what Vaughn Hatcher, a lifelong Williamsburg resident says, hoping to make a difference in the lives of his students, players and family.
This educator has spent 25 years helping the generations of families that have walked the halls of Williamsburg Independent Schools. From teaching special education to coaching the varsity football team, Vaughn aims to inspire confidence and build character by reaffirming their abilities. He wants to offer a lasting experience — and a lesson, for his students, players and family.
"It's not just [getting them to] graduation," Vaughn says. "It's [setting them up for] the next year."
Despite the differences between the locker room and the classroom, Vaughn seeks to bring out the strength of every student. The work involves teaching students to trust in their abilities and to remind them that there is life after high school. He says that, regardless of where or how he teaches them, they have the potential to succeed. “There’s some avenue for every kid,” he says. It’s a philosophy he learned when he was a student himself at the school where he now teaches.
"There've been several people who have changed my path just by telling me I was good at something," Vaughn says. "It's funny how such a kind word can make such a big difference."
On the field, Vaughn coaches his students to be more than good athletes. He wants to help them become good men, including his 15-year-old son, Reece, who plays on the school varsity football team as a freshman quarterback and defensive back. One of the most important traits he can teach, Vaughn says, is self-sufficiency.
“It's not [my decision], you gotta make your own decisions,” Vaughn says. He loves the work, no matter how exhausting it can be. “I’ll help you if you fail, but try, and whatever happens, happens.”
Beyond the walls of his classroom and the lines of a coaching box, Vaughn spends a large portion of his life devoted to others. Whether supporting one student’s Christmas lights installation business or helping football players find a stable home life, he often helps students outside the school. Vaughn’s wife, Amy Hatcher, a behavioral health therapist at the University of the Cumberlands, helped raise four boys while Vaughn spent long nights on the field. She says she understands his motivation, which keeps him away from home.
Other parents, not as much. Sometimes, she would overhear them disagree with the coaching staff’s decisions during football games.
“I don't think parents know that he spends more time with their kids than he does his own."
photographed and written by Eli Hartman for the 2024 Mountain Workshops
Public Project
Kind Words, Big Differences
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