High School

Virginia wrestling coaching legend passes after long battle with Alzheimers

Hall of Famer Doug Roper coached in the state for nearly 40 years, including 34 at Tabb High School

Gary Adornato

Doug Roper, who was conducted into the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, lost a long and courageous battle with Alzheimers on Sunday. He was 68.
Doug Roper, who was conducted into the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, lost a long and courageous battle with Alzheimers on Sunday. He was 68. / National Wrestling Hall of Fame

An outstanding wrestler during his days on the mats, Doug Roper went on to become a Hall of Fame coach in the sport to which he devoted his life. He spent nearly 40 years as a high school head coach in Virginia, including an remarkable 34-year tenure at Tabb High School in Yorktown. On Sunday, his toughest match came to an end, as succumbed to a long battle with Alzheimers. He was 68.

Roper's daughter Richie Griffin announced the news Sunday afternoon via a social media post.

"My daddy lost his fight with Alzheimer's this morning and made his way to his home in heaven," wrote Griffin. "There are no words to describe the feeling of a loss of a parent, but we find peace in knowing that he is no longer suffering and has made new with Jesus.

"My dad's only wish was to have a celebration of life at Tabb High School to share the memories that he created in his time on earth. My mom and I ask for patience as we navigate this request and try to honor him in the way he wishes."

Roper first made his mark as a three-time All Peninsula District wrestler at Ferguson High and he wrestled on the collegiate level at Elon University, before making his way into the coaching ranks. At Tabb where he was also a history teacher, he guided his teams to more than 400 match victories and he had 11 former wrestlers win a total of 15 individual state championships.

In 2016, Roper was inducted to the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University, and in 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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