[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15987]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 TRIBUTE TO DONALD ROTCH, LONGTIME PRINCIPAL AND COACH AT T.R. MILLER 
                     HIGH SCHOOL, BREWTON, ALABAMA

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                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 16, 2010

  Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I join the 
people of Brewton and Escambia County, Alabama in mourning the loss of 
a beloved community leader whose life was suddenly taken during a 
tragic auto accident on August 11, 2010.
  Donald Wayne Rotch, or ``Coach Rotch,'' as he was affectionately 
known to his former players and students and many in Brewton, was an 
institution in Escambia County. Originally from Lake Charles, 
Louisiana, Coach Rotch came to Brewton in 1974 from Jackson, Alabama, 
joining the T.R. Miller High School coaching staff.
  Coach Rotch was a fixture in Tiger athletics for the better part of 
18 years as the football offensive line coach while also coaching the 
baseball team.
  T.R. Miller is a sports powerhouse in South Alabama and Coach Rotch 
was a major force behind the Tiger's success. As a coach, he helped the 
team attain two championships in 1984 and 1991, before transitioning to 
the role of high school administrator in 1992. He served as assistant 
principal and then principal at T.R. Miller for the next 20 years.
  As a school administrator, Donnie Rotch also witnessed the Tigers 
achieve football championships in 1994, 2000 and 2002. Just one month 
after his death, his beloved Tiger football program scored their 600th 
victory--a milestone not matched by any other Alabama high school 
football team.
  Coach Rotch was tragically taken from his family and his students in 
August when his vehicle was struck by another during a police chase. 
Ironically, the person driving the vehicle which took Rotch's life was 
a former T.R. Miller student. The police officer who was pursuing the 
other vehicle once played baseball under Coach Rotch. In a very real 
sense in this wonderful, small South Alabama town, this accident was a 
tragedy in every imaginable way.
  Coach Rotch was the friendly face who greeted T.R. Miller students 
each morning as they arrived at school and he was the steady hand that 
guided his school through many decades of excellence--urging everyone 
from students, teachers and parents to ``do their best.''
  It has been reported that Coach Rotch was planning to retire from his 
leadership post at T.R. Miller in the coming year. His untimely passing 
has left T.R. Miller and all of Brewton with deep and profound sadness. 
There was no bigger believer in his students and no bigger role model 
to his school than Coach Donnie Rotch.
  Madam Speaker, I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of 
Coach Rotch and to the people of Brewton and Escambia County who were 
all influenced by his remarkable presence. Our prayers especially go 
out to his wonderful wife, Jane; his daughter, Jayme; his son, Richard; 
his mother, Jean Rotch Bonneau; his three brothers, Greg, Ray and 
David; two sisters, Kathy and Connie, and other family. You are all in 
our prayers.

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