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.