Amazing Grace! Retirement Can't Stop Legendary Chabot Coach

By Mike Wood

Special to Chabot Athletics

When Ken Grace officially retired from Chabot College more than a year ago, by no means was anyone expecting the energetic, legendary coach and teacher to slow things down.
True to form, the longtime track and field coach keeps his ties with Chabot through his regular update posts on the Chabot Track and Field Alumni page on Facebook. He’s volunteering as an assistant coach at Dublin High. And he remains close with current Gladiators track and cross country coach Kyle Robinson, who runs the programs he once competed in as an athlete and later as an assistant to his mentor.
All great ways for Grace to stay connected to the sports he’s spent a lifetime involved with, and to Chabot, where his coaching and teaching careers spanned over a quarter of a century. He can enjoy the competition, training, dispensing advice and developing and renewing relationships without having to deal with the not-so-fun forms and paperwork.
He enjoys providing updates on the impact his former athletes are making in the world today.
“We have a few doctors, teachers who are now principals, one guy who started his own business working with special needs kids,” Grace said. “It all started with track and field and went way beyond that.”
The digital media world has created a great avenue to keep this huge, extended Gladiators family close.
“God only gave me one kid biologically, but gave me hundreds through track and field,” Grace said. “It’s so important to keep the connection. … I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Chabot College.”
Grace presented his final USATF Level 1 track and field clinic to area coaches in January 2020, anticipating a logical winnowing down in his retirement. Then the unexpected happened with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Always eager to share words of advice and wisdom as a coach and instructor in Health, Kinesiology and Physical Education, Grace has a simple message that he imparts to Dublin High athletes, but is relevant to all in these trying times as we emerge from the pandemic:
“The biggest thing is, enjoy the moment,” Grace said, pausing to reflect on the recent loss of longtime Arroyo High teacher and coach Susan Guinee in an automobile accident, and the fragility of life.
“That really strikes it home for me … let’s enjoy the moment.”
While renowned for his long tenure at Chabot, Grace is no stranger to Dublin, coaching there in 2006-07 when his nephew, Jeremy, competed there.
“It’s nice because I can be the fill-in guy,” Grace said. “Chris Williams has a lot of good assistants, so I help him where I’m needed and float most of the time. Lately I’ve been hanging with the pole vault group.”
He excitedly points out the dedication of the current group of Dublin track athletes, several of whom have opted to compete in a late May unofficial East Bay Athletic League championship meet, even though it is the day after graduation.
“A bunch of seniors are going to do that the day after graduation, and that’s so impressive,” Grace said.
Robinson competed at Chabot for Grace before moving on to Chico State. At that time Robinson lost his father. The bond grew with his former coach after that tough loss.
“Ken has been such an active part of my life, and we have built a strong relationship,” Robinson said. “Our relationship goes way beyond sports, and he is like a second father to me.”
Nowadays Robinson enjoys the friendship and having someone who is “always a great resource” a phone call away.
“He is such a perfect example of coaching at the JC level is about, or coaching at any level; being there, supporting you,” Robinson said. “ I don’t think there’s anyone better at that than Ken.”
While noting Grace enjoys the competitive aspect, his drive goes beyond that. “He cares about all that stuff, but he cares about people more than anything else,” Robinson added.
Grace brought along Robinson as an assistant and protege, encouraging him to get his master’s degree. He prepared Robinson to eventually take over the programs in 2013, with Grace moving to an assistant role and gradually stepping away as an assistant and then retiring from full-time teaching in December 2019. This is, the frequent phone conversations with Robinson notwithstanding.
“It was a good handoff — just like a relay — a good handoff,” Grace chuckled.
Still making their marks
Even in an abbreviated scrimmage-based format this spring, Chabot track and field is still seeing athletes producing exceptional marks, and even more significantly, having several student-athletes turn their accomplishments, drive and desire into rewards at the four-year level. In this season, marks are considered unofficial but times are of the caliber to break into Chabot’s prestigious all-time record book that dates back to the 1960s.
Heading off to Sacramento State is sophomore Daja Johnson from De Anza High in Richmond. Johnson ranks fourth all-time in the 200 and fifth in the 200. “She has been killing it for us,” Robinson said.
Jaelen Craft, who specializes in the 400 hurdles, will be headed to Cal Poly Ponoma. Craft’s father, Jerry, has been Chabot’s sprints coach the past seven years.
Then there is Alonzo Floriolli, who has run 21.00 in the 200, which would tie the school record and has recorded a second-best all-time in the 100 with a 10.46. Floriolli’s opportunities include UCLA and Academy of Art in San Francisco, Robinson said. Decision time is coming soon for Floriolli, who also has made a name for himself with his “The Flo Fam” YouTube channel.
During the spring, Chabot athletes can participate individually, unattached, so that they must provide their own entry fees and their own transportation.
At a recent event co-hosted with Las Positas at Saint Mary’s College, there were some nice performances from Chabot athletes. The event included over 250 athletes, though with social distancing protocols, the athletes were not all present at the same time.
Chabot freshman Jacob Lawrence from Amador Valley in Pleasanton ran a 3:55 in the 1,500, with his 4.12 mile a “huge improvement,” Robinson noted.
Nico Melendres from Moreau Catholic in Hayward won his 800 heat with a 1:56, competing in the second-fastest heat of the event.
Athletes have traveled as far as Southern California to compete unattached. Chabot has only had two scrimmages, both with Diablo Valley College, saving a year of eligibility from what would have been a very short season.
“One positive thing is our freshmen will still have four years of eligibility, so they can compete here next year for one year of eligibility and then three years at a university, which is a good marketing pitch.”
With things looking up for a return to normal, Robinson is looking forward later this year to what is expected to be a full fall season in cross country followed by a full track and field season.
“We have a really good recruiting class, so we’re looking pretty strong for both sports.”