Concord University Alumni Magazine - Fall 2025

WC oiltohbarsosci shtaanngt se dP itnhtee rp, rMo garravmi n’ sWoiul ltilaomo ks ,. a n d Te d G i l l e s p i e , “wHee wwearse sdoo fi anrg at hh ei na gds o5f 0h iyse tai rms ea—g of ot ho at bt as lol -mwei sceo—l l et gheast have only started to do in the last 10 years or so,” recalled Ralph Modena, a defensive end on that first Concord team. “NOoffoennesiwvealsy,dwoeinwg othualdt atht rtohwe ttihmeeb.”all anytime, anywhere. The turnaround was stunning. “Our best year, as a team, I thought, was his first year. We wi netnhte f cr oo mn f earne n0 c- 9e ,”t eMa omd tehnea yseaai dr . b“eTfoo rhea v…e ttoh a[ Nt ok i. ]n 2d oo rf a3 ttuhrenyacraonudnod,tvhearty.” few colleges or universities can ever say BWuht i Cl eool ot hb er or cwoaascnh’ et sj ursatna f sr et rqaut ee gnits st .c Hr i emwmaasg ae lss ot haa tp rr iostkeecdt o r. injuries, Colobro scheduled just one. “wWa es iwt , ”o uP li dn the ar vsea iodn. e“ Hs cer ti hmomu ga hg et , i‘ nI f twh ee gs ue tmt mh eemr …h uarnt d, wt he a’ l tl get them hurt in the game.’” Twheal lt ipnht oi l ot hs oe iprh6y0osf, ac anrde hl ai ss toewd na cl hi f iel tdi rme en. gPrl ea wy e ur sp cwa lal et cdhhi ni mg his example. Nn ei cvke rC fool rocberdo ,s np oo wr t sa orne tai rneydocf ouasc, hb uh ti mi f sIeel fv, erre cwaal lnetde, d“ Dt oa d st hheoroet fhoor oi pt . sAot rt ht he rsoawmae bt iaml l e, i, fI hhea dp ot sws oi bbl yr ohtahde rt si mweh, oh en ewvaesr played any sports, and that was fine.” Nmiicskt aakl es os : r“eWmeel lm, wb ehreend yhoi us fdaot hn ’et ru’ ss ewya oy uorf hc eo ar rde, cstoi nmge t i m e s , ys uorur ho ua vned et od ums ey syeol fuwr fiet he ti.g” nAonroatnhceer.”f a v o r i t e : “ I ’ v e Yg ee tn, et rhoes si ttyo. rNi ei cs kt hr ae tc ol iunng teerde do nmeobs itt wt e er lrye caobl od udt aCyoaatc Ch 'osnqcuo iredt wj a chkeent .CHo el ocbarlol esdptoht et eydoau npgl amy earns ohvi veerrti on gh ii mn oannldy aa stkhei nd w h y he wasn’t wearing a coat. “TChoeanc he x, tt ht ii smies ha lel sI ’avwe gt ho et ,”ytohuenygomu nagn ,mCaonl oabdrmo si ti tme dp.l y g a v e ha inme wo noenoef thoi sr ecpolaatcse. Yi te—a rps rloa ot ef rt, ht ahta tt hpel agyeesrt ur er et uwr na es dn ewviet hr forgotten. Ir ni s ak ne do tlhoes ri ni gn sht iasncchea, na cpel at oy egrr faadcui na gt ed. iCsoc li op bl i rnoa rs yt r turcoku ab l e da ceaadl :eImf ai cdaml l iyn, ihset rwa toour lsdgbaevne cthh eh ismt u fdoerntthaensoetahseorns. h o t

Coach Tony Colobro sits amid just some of former team members, his “kids,” who gathered at Fincastle Country Club in December 2023 for a surprise 100th birthday party.

“gDr aaddutaotled mh iomr ei tt hwaans hoen nl ye feodoetdb at ol l , palna dy fhoeo nt beaeldl ,”e dN ti cok s a i d . There were lighter moments, too. Mw iot dh ehni as as triml l sl aouugths st raett cahpehdo—t omoifdC- aorl go ub mr oe—n t hwu int hc hae rdeof evreere, . “l eHt emweecnotatcohr, eafnedr eyeo, ua ’nvde hg oe tstaoi dc,h‘ We aet l ml , ief , yj uo sut at raekne’ tmgeo nt on a jail.’” In nine seasons at Concord, Colobro went 70-26-3, won five WVIAC titles, and advanced to the NAIA championship four times. He was named WVIAC Coach of the Year five times and was inducted into multiple halls of fame. Those who knew him say his greatest legacy was personal. “wCeoraecnh’ t akl wi das yasncyamr eodr ea, bbouut t t ho i sh ikmi d, st ,h” ePyi nwt ee rr es aa il dw. a“ yTsh he yi s kids.” Cleognaccoyredn’sdcuurrerse. nt head coach, Cody Edwards, believes that “oTr hSeo uC tohl owbersot nV ai rmg ien, ieas, pheacsi aa ll lwy ai ny ss bo eu et hn errena lWl yeismt pV oi rrgt ianni ta, ” Eb edcwoamr de sr as ar ei d. .I “tShtiinc kk iwn gh aatntdhsattalyeignagc yi ndoonees pi sl at chea thiatsb i n d s people together because it gives them a specific reference point to associate back with Concord.” Te mh eb socdhyotlha er sdhiispc ii pn l iCnoel ,orberl oi a’ sb inl iatmy, ea nwdi lsl thr oe nn og trhphl aeyvear lsuwe dh.o Ml e sosroentsh ao nf aa mwai nnnwi nhgo rceacroerdd ,diet ewpillyl —c afrorry hf oi sr pwl aa ryde rtsh, ef o r h i s family, and for Concord. Wb ehe inl ee tsht ae bslci shhoel adr, si ht ispt i il nl nCeoeadcsh f’ su nn da mi n eg . h a s To give, visit: concord.edu/coachcolobro

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WRITTEN BY TAMMIE PRESLEY