No matter the outcome, Ricky Aspinwall always found and embraced his wife, Shayna, and their two young daughters after every game in the back of the end zone.
“That smile of him walking over to get the hugs — to get the daddy hugs, man, that’s where I’m heartbroken,” said Apalachee High School football coach Mike Hancock.
Aspinwall was one of four people killed Wednesday during a shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County.
The 39-year-old math teacher and football team’s defensive coordinator was the first phone call Hancock made in 2023 when assembling his coaching staff. Aspinwall, a Rome native, was an “intense coach who lived football,” said Hancock.
But Hancock’s mind less than 24 hours after the shooting fixated on Aspinwall’s priorities off the field.
“He loved being a girl dad, and he loved his wife,” Hancock said.
Aspinwall, or “Coach A” as many called him, constantly searched for something to do. He never sat down for long. In the Apalachee locker room, he often swept the floor, did laundry and took out the trash.
“Nothing was beneath him,” Hancock said. “He always was willing to do whatever it took to help our kids and our program.”
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Credit: John Spink / John.Spink@ajc.com
Nick Bach was defensive coordinator at Mountain View High in Lawrenceville in 2013 when Aspinwall applied to join the school and football staff. Bach laughs about their first meeting, a job interview with “tough questions that made Ricky sweat it out.” It didn’t take long for Bach to learn Aspinwall was the type of coach that would one day lead his own defense or program.
“You never had to ask Ricky to do anything, ever,” said Bach, now the head football coach at Pace Academy in Atlanta.
Bach said Aspinwall would spend late nights staring at a wall filled with pictures of plays. Aspinwall would also repair broken helmets, order new shoulder pads and hang up players’ jerseys in the locker room the night before games.
“He was worth about three or four coaches,” Bach said. “Just things that nobody sees or even knows about, he would do it without being told or asked.”
On the field, during practice and games, Hancock said Aspinwall coached his players hard. But, Hancock added, Aspinwall always circled back to players, put his arm around them and explained why stern corrections were necessary for the sake of improvement.
“His mantra was E.A.T. That’s effort, attitude and trust,” Hancock said. “Building those relationships with his players was important to Ricky.”
Bach remained in close contact as Aspinwall’s football coaching career soared. Aspinwall became defensive coordinator at Dunwoody High, then returned in the same role at Mountain View for a few seasons before taking over Apalachee’s defense.
Bach also watched Aspinwall’s family grow and flourish.
“He just loved my little girl and played with her in the field house so much,” Bach said. “She would run right to him. The Lord has a plan, and the plan was for Ricky to have daughters. I’m crying just thinking about it.”
Apalachee’s home game Friday against Monroe Area has been canceled. Coaches and players met Thursday afternoon at Bethlehem Church, about 5 miles from the high school. Jordan Rushing, head of Apalachee High’s math department and the football team’s offensive coordinator, said “there was comfort” in gathering as a team.
Wednesday “was so chaotic and hectic and you’re just trying to find everybody, if that makes sense,” Rushing said. “Today was about remembering and talking and trying to spend some time together.”
Apalachee’s cross-county rival Winder-Barrow postponed its Friday game against Seckinger.
Apalachee and Winder-Barrow are scheduled to meet Sept. 13. Hancock isn’t sure if and when the game will be played.
“I’m hoping and I’m praying that there’s a way to get our kids on that football field to show people that this is a strong community,” Hancock said. “There’s a lot of things bigger than football, and this is obviously a lot bigger than football right now.”
A GoFundMe was created for Aspinwall’s family. More than $320,000 had been raised as of 10 a.m. on Friday.
Two students and two teachers were killed and nine others were injured in the shooting that occurred in the community located between Atlanta and Athens. The other teacher killed Wednesday, Cristina Irimie, also taught math.
“I hope my son grows up to be like Ricky, and I hope my daughter has the same spirit as Cristina had,” said Rushing, who has worked at Apalachee since 2018.
Federal and state law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation. Authorities arrested Colt Gray, 14, an Apalachee student, and charged him with murder.
“That’s the toughest part is there’s really no words you can say,” Hancock said. “You go to work and you don’t expect that. Not here.”
For the latest information on this developing news story, go to the AJC’s live updates page.
Credit: Courtesy photos
Credit: Courtesy photos
