Yanceys bonded over sports and built a father and son legacy of success at Forest High

When a parent and child can enjoy a sport, or several sports together, a special bond develops.

For Wayne Yancey and his son, Jed, their love for sports and competition grew over time on the baseball diamond and the football field at Forest High School.

Wayne Yancey, who grew up in South Florida and graduated from Pompano Beach High School in 1968, moved to Ocala with his family in 1970. He began teaching and coaching baseball at Forest in the 1978-79 school year.

Yancey, who also was the head football coach from 2000 to 2006, retired after a distinguished and successful career as the baseball coach in 2013.

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Over six decades on the diamond, Yancey racked up 610 wins, had 19 playoff appearances, won 12 district championships, four regional championships and had appearances in state finals in 1981 and 1983.

The Forest baseball field was named the Wayne Yancey Field in 2014. He was inducted into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014, a group for which he was a past chairman, and the Florida High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2020.

"I've been very, very blessed," Yancey said. "I had some talented players, good coaches and was fortunate to work with and for some great people in my time at Forest. I was able to develop some great relationships with some fine organizations and wonderful people over the years."

Wayne Yancey coached his own son at Forest

Yancey was able to coach Jed, who played second base on the baseball team and displayed his athletic skill and versatility as the starting quarterback for the Wildcats' football squad from 2001 to 2005.

"Dad was really good at never bringing anything home," Jed said. "I'm sure it was harder for him, especially football since I knew so much more about baseball, but we never had a problem. Mom was harder on me than Dad, but I'm sure he told her what to say and she'd lay it on me pretty good."

Jed Yancey capped a solid high school career by being selected to the FACA All-Star Baseball Classic in 2005. He played at the College of Central Florida for two years and then graduated from Warner College in 2009. He began his teaching and coaching career in 2010 at Forest.

He was the junior varsity baseball coach for three years and was an assistant to the varsity baseball squad until taking over for his father as head coach of the Wildcats in 2014. Yancey's teams won the district championship in 2015 and 2018 and reached the FHSAA state Final Four in 2015 and 2016.

"I love baseball and enjoy coaching the kids," Jed said. "My favorite thing growing up was being in the dugout and listening to my dad and Earl Battey, Jody Phillips, Tony Cason, Gary Merians and the other coaches talking baseball. It's a great game and I enjoy being around it."

Jed paved his own way as Wildcats coach

Jed, who became the chairman of the FACA in 2014, didn't feel any added pressure taking over the varsity team from his father.

"My dad won a ton of games and they named the field after him, but I've always been someone, regardless of my last name, to blaze my own trail," he said. "Obviously, a lot of the same concepts applied since I learned so much from being around my dad because he was very successful. But I always tried from Day One to make it my own."

And he has a Hall of Fame fan.

"Jed was a better coach than me," Wayne said. "He presented his plan, got the job on his own and I'm very proud of him."

It wasn't a surprise that Forest baseball enjoyed success under both Yanceys, according to recently retired Marion County Athletic Director Jody Phillips.

"I got to play baseball for Wayne and coach with him, and he was a great role model," said Phillips, who was the FHS athletic director from 2008 until 2016. "I'm sure he didn't win as many games as he wanted to because he was very competitive, but he was one of those guys that you wanted to influence your kids."

Phillips coached Jed Yancey in football and baseball.

"Jed played quarterback in football and I was his position coach, and he played second base in baseball and I was the infield coach," Phillips said. "He came around the ballpark when he was a little kid and I've known him his whole life. He was a very good player for us and has turned into an incredible person, a great father and role model. I think it was a natural opportunity when he got the baseball job and I guess the apple didn't fall that far from the tree. Jed carried on the standard of success that Wayne started."

Jed Yancey's dedication and organization were greatly appreciated by many people.

"It was a joy working with Jed," said Marion County Athletic Director Donnie Tucker, who played baseball and football for Vanguard from 1986 to 1990, and was the Forest High athletic director from 2018 to 2022. "He was always prepared and had things under control. He was great with the kids and the parents, and you never had to worry about anything with that program. He's a wonderful person and a joy to be around."

Forest baseball no longer will have a Yancey at the helm

But for the first time in many years, a Yancey won't be coaching the baseball team at Forest High, as Jed has stepped down as head coach of the Wildcats.

"My dad left everything in really good shape for me and my thought was to kind of keep pushing it forward," Jed said. "I think I did that. You're only as good as your assistant coaches and I had some good ones in Mark Streit, Gary Merians Jr., Joshua Smith and Craig Cushenbery. I can't thank them enough for making my life easier because a lot of coaches don't have that kind of support. Coaching isn't just about wins and losses, it's about being a part of helping turn boys into men."

Yancey, 35, is taking a position with the Central Church of Christ in Ocala. He said he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, Megan, and their daughters, 11-year-old Finley and 9-year-old Hadley, and son Nash, who is 1.

"People don't realize how much time coaches miss with their families, and that's been weighing on me for a couple of years," Yancey said. "That had more to do with this decision than anything. My daughters are starting to get active in sports, and I want to be there for them. I grew up in the Central Church of Christ and I'm taking a position as a second evangelist. I'm looking forward to my new position and I'm going to sink my teeth into the work there just like I did with Forest baseball."

Even though there won't be a Yancey in the dugout or on the sidelines next season for the Forest Wildcats for the first time since 1979, the positive impact the family has had on the school and the community cannot be overstated.

"The Yanceys are very loyal people and know the importance of Forest High and what it means to the community," Phillips said. "I don't think you'll see coaches like the Wayne Yanceys stay at schools for that many years anymore because things have changed so much. It was never about him, it was always about the kids."

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: High school baseball: Yancey father and son built legacy at Ocala Forest