Twinsburg schools mourns the loss of baseball coach Jeff Luca, bus driver Antoine Battle

Twinsburg schools is mourning the loss of two staff members who died Tuesday.

Baseball coach Jeff Luca died in a Pennsylvania car accident and school bus driver Antoine Battle died after fighting a prolonged illness, Superintendent Kathy Powers said.

The details of the Pennsylvania wreck have not yet been made public.

Luca leaves behind his wife and three children, including one who is a sophomore at Twinsburg High School. Battle leaves his wife and two children, also THS students.

"It's an incredibly difficult time for both families and the community," Powers said.

Nearly 70 students are involved or expressed interest in playing under Luca, she said, showing the scope of his impact on the local community.

"I'm always appreciative of coaches who build athletic skills, but he did more than that," Powers said. "They developed life skills."

A graduate of West Branch High School in Beloit, Luca went on to get a master's degree in physical education and sports management from the University of Akron before heading to John Carroll University for a degree in elementary education and teaching, according to his LinkedIn page.

In 1993, after his time at John Carroll, Luca started as the program manager at the city of Solon where he managed the city's sports programs.

He joined the Twinsburg baseball team in 2006 as an assistant under Don Jones before taking the helm in 2018. Under his leadership, the team had a 54-41 record in the next four seasons, excluding the canceled 2020 season for the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Unbelievably sad news," the Twinsburg girls soccer team wrote on X. "Coach Luca was a remarkable man. Sending our thoughts & prayers to his family. Devastating loss for the Twinsburg community."

Twinsburg Athletics reposted messages from area teams on X.

"Jeff Luca impacted so many players during his coaching career. A great man to compete against on the field and a friend off of it," wrote the Nordonia High School baseball team. "Our prayers go out to his family, @TwinsburgTigers, and the Twinsburg baseball community!"

"Love and Prayers to the Luca Family @TwinsburgTigers," the Walsh Jesuit High School baseball team wrote.

"Devastating news," the Wadsworth High School baseball team wrote. "Coach Luca has been a staple of Twinsburg Baseball for the past 2 decades, both as an assistant & a head coach. He was a great coach and an even better man. Our prayers are with his family and the Twinsburg community."

Twinsburg schools is considering a new head coach, but Powers said all decisions are on hold for Luca's family, friends and students to pay their respects.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Twinsburg mourns the loss of baseball coach Jeff Luca