The life of Denny Zeiters ’71 has centered on helping young people learn to succeed – both academically and athletically. While at SHS Denny earned 7 varsity letters. He led the football team in pass interceptions his senior year with 7 and returned a field goal attempt a school record 100 yards. In basketball he led the NOL in scoring (21.8 ppg) and was named first team All-NOL. In baseball he was a 3-year letterman, earning 1st team All-NOL honors as a junior and senior.
He was recipient of the Senior S Award.
After graduation, he earned his bachelor’s degree from The College of Wooster where he also played baseball all four years and later acquired a master’s at Wake Forest University.
He taught and coached in both North Carolina (NC) and Virginia (VA). In NC Denny was head football coach at West Forsyth HS for 10 years and was named conference coach of the year in 1986, 1989, 1990. In 1990 Denny was the only math teacher selected to tour the Air Force Academy and became a recruiter for the academy at West Forsyth. In 1992 he moved to VA where he has taught mathematics at Thomas Dale HS (West Campus). In football there, he was named conference assistant coach of the year in 2009 when the school won its first state title. He also coached golf for 4 years. Denny served 5 years as head of the mathematics department and on several local and state committees in geometry.
In all, Denny taught for 41 years, coached for 34 years and coached in 7 state championship games. He retired from teaching in 2018.
Nominator: Deb Zeiters ’73.