The community is mourning the loss of a coach who sought to teach his kids life lessons.
Larry Safarik, who coached at Taylor Independent School District for 57 years, passed away Saturday, May 18 at the age of 78.
Relatives described Safarik as an educator who gave up his time and talents to better students’ lives.
“He taught his athletes the merits of hard work and perseverance,” Safarik’s obituary reads. “He was tough, but fair. Every player on every team was important to him.”
Safarik taught history and coached at Taylor Middle School while in the workforce.
He eventually took on the extra duties of coaching the Taylor High School varsity tennis teams, where his players won multiple state titles, according to his family.
Kale McQuillen, the current head coach of the varsity baseball team, remembers Safarik as someone who found joy in seeing others happy.
“He wanted his students to try their best and never give up on the task at hand,” McQuillen said. “All of his students thrived on his positivity and motivation, which ultimately helped them succeed not only in the classroom, but also outside of class.”
Quincy Griffin, who played for Safarik before later working alongside him at Taylor Middle School, described Safarik as someone who succeeded in fielding great teams without sacrificing character development.
Griffin said there was a period of time where the coach won countless district championships in a row in middle school football. “When we played for him, we didn’t worry about if we were going to win the game,” Griffin said. “We were worried about where we were going to eat. We knew we’d win the game because we were so prepared.”
In 2017, Safarik celebrated 50 years of employment at Taylor ISD. In addition to coaching football and tennis, Safarik was a prominent figure in establishing the intramural program at the middle school. The program featured basketball, softball, horseshoes, softball and other sports. In 2016, former Athletic Director and Head football coach Rusty Purser created the Larry Safarik Duck for Life award.
“I wanted to have something that would be a lasting impact... for people who have given a lot to Taylor, to Taylor ISD, to Taylor ISD athletics specifically,” Purser said in the video Coach Larry Safarik: the First 50. “I couldn’t think of anybody better to start that with than Coach Safarik.”
Purser said anyone who receives the award in the future can know who the award is titled after and what type of impact he had on the programs.
Safarik’s relatives said he only retired due to health issues.
However, Taylor ISD Athletic Director Earven Flowers said Safarik was still supportive of Ducks athletics recently.
“He was very encouraging during the tough years and his support of Taylor ISD never wavered,” Flowers said. “We have a lot of Taylor ISD employees who were coached by Coach Safarik and their stories about him are just as legendary as the mark that he left on this community. He definitely will be missed.”
Besides coaching, Safarik was largely known for the Outdoor Recreation program he started. There, students learned certain skills like outdoor tin cooking and fishing.
According to relatives, Safarik and his brother, Arnie, farmed over 3,000 acres of land. So, Safarik’s students were learning from someone with a plethora of outdoor experience.
“He was known for going far beyond the norm by taking students to his fish pond or the pond by the middle school and watching their reactions when they experienced their first bite while fishing or landed their first catch,” Williamson County Precinct 4 Constable Paul Leal said. “He loved education and knew the true value of what being a leader and role model was all about.”
A visitation is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Providence Funeral Home, 807 NW Carlos G. Parker Blvd. in Taylor.
A funeral service will be held Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 401 W. Seventh St. in Taylor.
