Friends and former players of beloved football coach says he was a ‘bright soul’

BARROW COUNTY, Ga. — Friends, former players and fellow coaches are remembering the life of a beloved football coach killed during Wednesday’s shooting at Apalachee High School.

Nick Bach told Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln says he was waiting with bated breath to receive a text from his friend Richard Aspinwall.

“I texted him and then I didn’t hear anything back,” Bach said.

Lincoln spoke with Bach over the phone. He told her by Wednesday evening, he learned Aspinwall was one of the four victims who had been killed.

“There’s a lot of really very masculine men crying their eyes out today because he was one of the best people I’ve ever been around,” said Bach.

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According to the school’s website, Aspinwall was a math teacher and football coach.

“Doing the odds in my head, and said there’s no way it’s going to be him,” Bach said.

“I just wouldn’t expect somebody to hurt coach A,” former player Blake Carroll said.

Carroll played at Mountain View High School in Gwinnett County, where Aspinwall coached football for a decade.

“Outside of football, he was just a really genuine person,” Carroll said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.

Family of fellow math teacher Cristina Irimie set up a GoFundMe for her funeral expenses. It says she dedicated her life to shaping the minds and hearts of students and the community.

The youngest deceased victims are two students, both of whom are 14 years old: Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo.

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Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco spoke with head football coach Mike Hancock. He was on the football field helping students who escaped the chaos when the shooting began.

“Everybody called him Coach A,” Hancock said. “He was our defensive coordinator. He was a players’ coach. The kids loved him, just like our kids.”

Aspinwall moved to Apalachee High School two years ago.

“It’s just a numbing feeling,” Hancock said. “Time was really a blur.”

Despite the heartbreak, Hancock finds comfort in his faith and the community’s support.

“We serve a mighty God, and he’s overcome the world. I have peace in knowing with this great community we’ll get through this.”

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