Retired Coach Dick Tighe, of Webster City, stands on the Lynx football field in 2017, right after he published his memoir, “Coach Tighe: 63 Years of High School Football.” He still tracks the local teams, and loves the beginning of football season.

Ask for a few great Coach Tighe stories and you’re not simply going to hear about football.

“He was my drivers ed teacher!” says Cardinal (Gillette) Ambrose. “My credit for freeway/highway driving was accepted for driving Joan Stark and two little girls to Chicago.”

Jennifer Wahlers Espinoza, of Kamrar, had him in class at Webster City High School.

“Favorite quote from U.S. history: ‘Brigham Young, Brigham Old. I don’t care, just Brigham.'”

Dick Tighe, better known as Coach Tighe to the old guard of the Webster City Lynx, came to town in 1967 on the heels of iconic Coach Harley Rollinger.

It didn’t take Tighe long to become another icon.

With a collective 432 victories under his coaching belt, he is still ranked as a top coach in the nation.

As another fall football season ramps up, Tighe, of Webster City, still vets the lineup, albeit from a distance.

“I’ve talked with Coach (Bob) Howard. He’s got a great backfield, but a pretty inexperienced line,” Tighe said.

Referring to the overall football season, he added, “I’m really looking forward to it.”

As are so many others in the community.

Tonight, a community-wide pep rally will kick off not just football, but the season for all of Webster City fall sports. It begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Lynx football field.

Jess Howard, the new Lynx activities director, is, perhaps, equally excited.

“We invite everyone to come out … and help us kick off our fall seasons,” she said. “Everyone is excited to meet community members and get our seasons underway.”

Coaches from the cross country, volleyball and football teams will talk about their respective teams and upcoming seasons.

Youth attendees will have the opportunity to interact with fall sport athletes, catch passes from football players, volley back and forth with members of the volleyball squad, or race a cross country runner.

Magnets and posters with the fall sports schedules will be available for purchase at a cost of $3 each, or purchased together for $5. Autograph signing of posters by athletes will be available.

Vintage Lynx uniforms will be for sale, booster club information will be given out, and a number of fall sports season passes will be given away.

Said Jess Howard, “A special thanks also to Boone River Financial and K.C. Nielsen, Ltd. for sponsoring the poster and magnets.”

All proceeds from the sale of uniforms, magnets and posters will go to the Webster City Community School District athletic department to help offset costs.

And Tighe?

“Not much of a story, but I remember students (not me, of course), getting Coach Tighe to talk about sports,” said Jackie Caquelin. “He would get carried away, and the test scheduled for that day would be postponed!”

“He was my drivers ed teacher,” Cheryl (Day) Smith said. “Last day of class, we got to drive to our house. I lived on Bluff Street, so I had to make a right on the hill to turn left towards our house. He told me I would never drive because I scared him. That was 52 years ago and I am still driving.”

Tim McKinney, of Webster City, was on one of his teams.

“(He) always had a hard time with getting names right in football. Always easier to just refer to you by your number!”

Easing into fall, you just can’t separate the coach from him.

“When you’re coaching, you’re pretty well committed,” Tighe said, referring to his memories of autumn off the field.

He was a Lynx coach for 31 years.

Shameless plug: You can still get his book, “Coach Tighe: 63 Years of High School Football.”

Perhaps some of that old gear up for sale tonight will be from the old days.