Jan Chapman earned the nickname “Coach” for a very good reason. He mastered several as an athlete in his prime and mentored young athletes in many other sports during a lengthy and well-served teaching and coaching career.
The native of Arkansas City, Kan., died March 6. He was 89.
“Coach Chapman was like no other when it came to connecting with student-athletes, making them feel confident about themselves and excelling in all they do,” Metro Conference athletic coordinator Alex Estrada said.
A natural competitor from the start, the younger Chapman exceled in three sports in high school: football, track and field and basketball. A stint in the U.S. Navy brought him into contact with the San Diego region. The latter event left a lasting impression on the former all-state quarterback, who would later return to the region and create his legacy as a teacher and coach to help provide leadership and positive direction for hundreds of young student-athletes.
A man for all sports
Chapman attended elementary school, high school and junior college in Arkansas City, which is located near the confluence of the Arkansas and Walnut rivers in the southwestern part of Cowley County, which is located in the southeastern portion of the state along the border with Oklahoma.
Chapman led the Arkansas City High School football team to the Kansas state championship as a senior in 1953 and later won the state javelin throw while attending Arkansas City Junior College. He played quarterback for the 1954 Tiger football team and was a member of the 1954-55 Jayhawk Western Division champion/Region VI champions basketball team that finished fourth in the national tournament. He also served as freshman class president.
Following one year at Arkansas City Junior College, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Arizona where he played football and competed in track and field during two semesters in Tucson before joining the Navy.
Chapman played football, basketball and baseball at the Naval Training Center in San Diego. He returned to his hometown after he finished his two-year obligation with the Navy. Re-enrolling at Arkansas City College, he earned his Associates degree while concentrating solely on track and field, going undefeated in the javelin while winning Kansas and national Junior College championships.
He then accepted a football scholarship to the University of San Diego where he would cement his legacy as one of the Toreros’ greatest athletes of all time.
A three-year starting quarterback and punter, Chapman threw for 3,573 yards and 23 touchdowns as one of the top signal-callers in the nation. He ranked third in the nation as a punter his sophomore year and sixth as a senior. Some of his records still stand today.
He was the captain and quarterback of the football team, the MVP in 1960 and a Small College All-American selection.
He also played basketball and baseball while at USD and served as associated student body president his senior year, graduating in 1961.
The leadership skills he honed at USD as co-captain of the football team and student body president for men would serve him well as an educator, coach and mentor.
He joined the faculty at Marian High School in 1962 and was hired by the Sweetwater district in 1968 where he subsequently taught and coached successful programs at Castle Park, Bonita Vista and Hilltop high schools.
Chapman joined the Southwestern College football staff in 1982 and served as quarterbacks coach through 2005. He served as head coach in 2006, helping re-establish the Jaguars program and build stability, and win games. He recruited 125 athletes within a few weeks of taking the job. He terms his time as head coach of the Jaguars as the great highlight in his coaching career.
His crowning achievement as an athlete came in a 21-20 upset of the Marine Corps team featuring future NFL starts. His legacy was cemented in 1995 when he was elected to the USD Hall of Fame.
That legacy included a short stint as a free agent signee with the fledgling San Diego Chargers of the American Football League under legendary coach Sid Gillman. His roommate was quarterback Jack Kemp, who would later win two AFL titles with the Buffalo Bills and be elected as a United States senator.
Chapman became the lead statistician for the Chargers from 1968-1995.
While with Gillman and the Chargers, Chapman came into contact with assistant coaches Chuck Knoll and Al Davis, Pro football Hall of Fame members along with Gillman.
Chapman dedicated himself to coaching the teaching for 55 years. He coached football, basketball and track and field at several schools within the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Metro Conference (Marian, Castle Park, Bonita Vista, Hilltop and Eastlake) as well as at Southwestern College.
He served as a quarterbacks coach and later as a head coach in football, basketball and track and field while mentoring hundreds of young student-athletes. He served as an athletic director and social science department head before retiring as a teacher in 1999 after 37 years. During his longtime career, he was named Coach of the Year and Teacher of the Year.
After retirement, he continued to coach. His love for sports transcended the playing field into scorekeeping and statistics for many teams.
He was a head coach in basketball at Marian Catholic, longtime basketball head coach and assistant football and track and field coach at Hilltop, and also coached football at Eastlake.
He was inducted into Southwestern College’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
He was not forgotten back home as in 2005 he was inducted into the Cowley County Athletic Hall of Fame. It was a moving tribute.
“It was such a surprise that when I was informed about the honor, I almost cried,” Chapman was quoted as saying. “For somebody to remember you after so many years is pretty special.”
On a personal level, Chapman was married twice — first to Barbara Correll in 1962, raising four children, and later to Christie Ross in 1999, following the death of his first wife in 1995. He is survived by 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Chapman’s life lessons included perseverance, integrity and passion. He had a positive influence on everyone he coached through his work ethic, leadership, discipline, respect and performance.
He was truly an extraordinary individual who mastered many sports and helped shape countless lives.
Graveside services are scheduled Friday, April 4, at 11 a.m. at Glen Abbey Memorial Park, 3838 Bonita Rd., Bonita. A celebration of life follows at 12:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 901 Elks Lane, Chula Vista.
