Matthew Hatfield has been with VirginiaPreps.com since 2004, officially taking over as Publisher in 2016. Hatfield hosts 757 Saturday Sports Talk every Saturday, 10 AM to Noon, on ESPN Radio 94.1.
After a long and courageous bout with cancer, legendary football coach Bill Dee passed away on Thursday night at the age of 63.
Dee went 256-78-1 in 28 seasons at the helm, highlighted by winning four State Championships at Phoebus High School (2001, 2002, 2006 & 2008) in Hampton as he laid the foundation for one of the most dominant runs in VHSL history. In January, he stepped down as the Head Football Coach in Oscar Smith after one season in which he guided the Tigers to a 13-2 overall record, regional title and return trip to the 6A State Championship game.
A 1975 graduate of Mansfield State who played offensive guard, Dee began coaching in New York as the defensive coordinator at Greene High School for four seasons. From there, he moved to Virginia and was the defensive coordinator at Denbigh in Newport News from 1979-80 before becoming the Head Coach at Southampton, a position he held from 1981-84 until landing at Phoebus High.
Teams Dee coached were known for being physical and tough, playing with a blue-collar, no nonsense approach and being disciplined. It didn't take long for him to transform the Phantoms, a program that had lost 18 consecutive contests during the 1980's into a winning football team in his second year on the job, culminating with a 9-3 record that season.
At Phoebus, Dee compiled a record of 215-64, a lofty .771 winning percentage, during his 24-year tenure that also included seven regional titles and nine Peninsula District crowns. After leading Phoebus to a #3 national ranking by Rivals.com and state title in 2008 - where the Phantoms outscored opponents by an astounding margin of 720-53 - he left for the college ranks, taking an assistant coaching job at Christopher Newport University.
While at CNU, Dee worked with inside linebackers and defensive linemen for two seasons. During the 2010 campaign, the Captains won the USA South Conference title and made the NCAA Division III playoffs.
Before making a return to High School Football, Dee spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Old Dominion University. He was the Monarchs' offensive line coach during four of those seasons, a time in which the school moved from he CAA and FCS to the FBS level and Conference USA, plus served as the program’s defensive coordinator in 2012.
When Oscar Smith was looking for someone to replace Rich Morgan, who left to become the Head Football Coach at Marietta High School in Georgia, Dee was a slam dunk choice that beat out more than 50 applicants to land the job.
Despite a 35-point loss to DeMatha in the season opener, the Tigers rebounded with 13 consecutive victories, running the school's unprecedented Southeastern District winning streak to 91 games, and didn't suffer defeat again until Westfield edged them 34-28 in double-overtime for the 6A crown.
Bill Dee was one of the most successful coaches in VHSL history (Greg Bishop)
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Everyone who follows football and sports throughout the state of Virginia feels the loss of Coach Dee. Here's what others are saying to remember him...
