By Bill Nestor
This past Wednesday a tragic accident occurred in the Liberty High School parking lot. Liberty teacher and county coach Ryan Lantz was struck by a vehicle in the school’s parking lot. The accident would claim Lantz’s life and his loss was felt immediately across North Central West Virginia.
Lantz had been an assistant coach on Liberty’s football staff for the past decade. He was also the freshman basketball coach at Robert C. Byrd High School, as well as an assistant for Basil Lucas on the varsity staff. Working overtime for the Flying Eagles was no problem for Lantz.
Being a coach and a mentor wasn’t a job for the Harrison County native; it was a calling.
Working with our youth was what Lantz was called to do, as I found out just a couple of short years ago.
I remember when Ryan was the head basketball coach at Liberty. He ran the Mountaineer program for four years. During that time, his teams always played hard and had the right approach to the game. The sportsmanship bug painted on the wall inside the Liberty gym must have made an impact on Cpoach Lantz, because he coached his players to play and act that way. Win or lose, he displayed a level of class that was second to none.
Our friendship flourished when he came to Robert C. Byrd. I have always tried to be the first to speak to people in the gym. To me, there is no better place to be on a cold winter’s night and I have always wanted to show my excitement. But no matter how quick I was on the trigger, I could never beat Coach Lantz. Ryan was quick to speak with a smile that would overshadow a 10 game losing streak. He was elated to be there and I know that for a fact, based on the multiple roles he filled at One Eagle Way.
I graduated from college in 1992 and coached freshman basketball while being a varsity assistant at South Harrison. It was exhausting for me at age 23, but I loved the players and the game. Ryan graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan in 1994 and this year, he was pulling the same double duty with the energy of a youngster. It is much easier when you love what you do and you feel called to do it.
I’ve broadcast RCB games for over a quarter of a century from a small hole high above courtside. Most people don’t even realize I am there and, during that lengthy period, only two people have acknowledge my presence on a consistent basis. One of them was Ryan. He would take the time and make the effort to make me feel important. As a former coach, I pay close attention to players and coaches and their interactions during games. Coach Lantz would always use every opportunity to engage players by either putting an arm around them, or offer an encouraging word. The look on their faces showed how much it meant to them, as his efforts meant to me.
I didn’t realize until after his passing that he was a youth pastor. It makes perfect sense to me now. He must have felt called to do all that he did for our youth. These were not jobs to Ryan, they were opportunities. Once we finish our work on Earth, God calls us home for eternal life.
Hopefully the student involved in that accident knows that she is not to blame and that it was his time to be called home.
The great news for Ryan’s family and friends that want to see him again is that there is a path through Jesus Christ.
We are all sad to see Ryan pass from this Earth. I will miss the smiles and waves for sure. It is only fitting, however, that after offering hundreds of players positive words of encouragement, that he will hear from our Heavenly Father “well done, My good and faithful servant!”