‘I don’t take a minute for granted.’ Father, 2 sons enjoy coaching together at Livingston
Scott Wine started coaching high school football before he graduated from Livingston High School in 1981.
Wine’s high school coach Mike Burrows had just taken over the Atwater High program and Wine joined his staff.
“I guess I can’t get in trouble for it now, so I guess it’s OK to say I used to leave my fifth period class at Livingston to go to Atwater to help coach spring ball,” Wine said.
Forty years later and Wine was coaxed back on the sideline by his sons Steven and Brian, who both are part of Alex Gonzalez’s coaching staff at Livingston.
The Wines will be trying to help the Wolves (4-2, 1-1 Trans-Valley League) in a key matchup on Friday night when Ripon (5-2, 2-0 TVL) comes to town.
Scott Wine, 58, who retired as the Atwater High athletic director last spring, says he has the perfect schedule these days. He spends his mornings with his two granddaughters and then coaches football in the afternoon.
Scott spent 30 years coaching football before spending the last 16 years working as an AD at Buhach Colony and Atwater.
Coaching again
When Livingston’s football program needed a defensive line coach, Steven and Brian asked their dad if he was interested.
“We had to go through mom first,” Steven said. “Once we got the OK from her he was on board.”
Steven said two days after asking his dad to coach, Scott had six pages of notes he wanted to go over.
I’m gracious to Livingston because they’ve given some great opportunities to both my boys to coach and for Steven to teach,” Scott said. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t get to coach with my two sons. It’s been fun.”
Making an impact
Both Steven, 34, and Brian, 31, joined the Livingston staff eight years ago when Gonzalez took over the program. Steven is the defensive coordinator and teaches history at Livingston High.
Brian is the offensive line coach and commutes from Fresno to Livingston three days a week. On practice days, Brian starts his retail job in Fresno at 3 a.m. and doesn’t get home until after 6 p.m. On game nights he gets home after 11 p.m.
“I value the time out there with them a lot,” said Brian, who also helps out the Livingston baseball program in the spring. “I’m there three days a week and I don’t take a minute for granted. I could be coaching in Fresno somewhere, but I wouldn’t get this time with my brother and dad.”
Gonzalez says Livingston kids benefit from having people like the Wines helping out.
“They’ve given so much to the program,” Gonzalez said. “They bring knowledge, consistency and energy. Steven has lot of passion for defense. He goes out of his way to learn as much as he can. He has a great attention to detail and he relays that to the kids. The community of Livingston is lucky to have a guy like (Brian).”
Football family
Football has always been a big part of the Wine family.
Steven and Brian both remember being ball boys at Atwater while their dad coached there. They both played for Scott when they went to Buhach Colony.
So it was only natural they both followed their dad’s footsteps into coaching.
“I’m pretty sure this is what I wanted to do as long as I can remember, to teach as well,” Scott said. “I was all-in, 100% as soon as I started.”
Brian started coaching right after graduating from Buhach Colony in 2008.
“I started coaching freshmen football and I saw the difference in the players from day one to the end of the season,” Brian said. “I saw how much better the players got.”
Special season
Adding their father to the staff this year has made this year special.
With both of them coaching in Livingston the past few years, they haven’t been able to spend much time with their dad with him working long nights as the athletic director at Atwater.
“He’s retired from coaching like four times now,” Steven said. “He loves it. He’s the best coach we have on our staff. It’s what he’s really good at.”
“It’s really special,” Brian added. “When he was coaching at Atwater we were the ball boys. It’s become a big circle. Now we’re coaching and doing the drills he taught us.”
Steven says his dad will come over on Sundays to help come up with a defensive game plan and watch some film.
“We’ll cook dinner and the first hour we spend on football and the next four hours the grand kids take over,” Steven said.
The program has benefited from Scott Wine joining the staff.
“Our defensive line has benefited tremendously,” Gonzalez said. “They are big, powerful and fast and now they are learning the game. They’re learning the position.”
Gonzalez, who has two little kids at home, can only imagine what this season has meant to Scott and his two sons.
“As a family man, it’s refreshing to see them out there together,” Gonzalez said. “They both grew up watching their dad coach and now they are coaching with their Pops. It’s a big deal.”
Friday’s Schedule
Ripon at Livingston
Golden Valley at Atwater
Buhach Colony at El Capitan
Los Banos at Johansen
Ceres at Pacheco
Le Grand at Ripon Christian
Mariposa at Denair
Delhi at Orestimba
Gustine at Waterford
Dos Palos at Tranquillity
Chowchilla at Washington Union
