Roseville High remembers long-time fixture Griffin

The Roseville High community past and present mourns the loss of a school asset with the death of Casey Griffin, an 18-year educational and athletic fixture on campus. Griffin, 54, died Saturday at Kaiser Roseville Medical Center after suffering a massive heart attack at his Granite Bay home. Many people associated with the school most likely knew of Griffin's death prior to coming to school Monday morning - "Word spread very, very quickly" from concerned people wanting to express their condolences, said Roseville High School Principal John Montgomery.FYIA memorial celebration of Casey Griffin's life will be held from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Roseville High School, 1 Tiger Way, starting at Moeller Gymnasium and concluding with a reception in the school cafeteria. Call 782-3753 for more information."The next question was, 'How can I help?'" he said. During his tenure at Roseville High, Griffin taught math, social science and psychology, and was involved heavily in athletic programs, coaching football, wrestling, tennis and track and field. Griffin served as the school's athletic director for the past 10 years. "He was just one of those coaches who expected the best of everyone, including himself," said Brent Mattix, a Roseville High leadership teacher and alumnus who, as a teen, wrestled under Griffin and later coached with him. "He wasn't happy unless he got 100 percent, 150 percent. He would do everything he could to make you a better person."Friends and family all have similar stories of Griffin's impact on the lives of many through teaching and coaching and of his dedication to his family.Born in Iowa, Griffin began wrestling in high school, and attended Oklahoma State University on a wrestling scholarship. He later attended University of the Pacific on a football scholarship, and for a brief time after college, played for the San Francisco 49ers. While professional football was fun, Griffin knew his heart was in teaching and coaching.Among Griffin's many athletic endeavors at Roseville High was the establishment of a girls' wrestling program, which was coached for two years by Kara Schroeder, Griffin's oldest daughter."He made them work just as hard and to just as high a standard," Schroeder said of her father's push to see the girls succeed just as much as their male counterparts.Schroeder also appreciated the time spent with her father during those coaching years."It was challenging sometimes, but very special to me," she said. "It was our bonding time. He taught me a lot about sports and life."Griffin's dedication to Roseville High never surpassed his care for Nancy Griffin, his wife of 28 years, and their three daughters. "Teaching and coaching and being a great husband and great father were his passions," Schroeder said. "As devoted as he was to the students and the school, he was twice as devoted to his family. He wanted to be the best husband and the best dad."Griffin enjoyed outdoor activities with his family, including fishing, camping and hitting Folsom Lake in the family's ski boat.School was also a top priority for Griffin, whose endless hours at Roseville High affected nearly two decades of students and staff.Jennifer Birch, varsity softball coach and a social science teacher, described her coworker and mentor as "selfless.""He dedicated so much time and effort into being so good at what he does," she said. "He is such a good person. This is such a loss for Roseville High School."Tom Gonzalez wrestled under Griffin as a high school student and returned to his alma mater this year to coach the varsity wrestling team."Now coaching for him over here, I have a big set of shoes to fill. One of my real goals was to coach with him," Gonzalez added.Corey Fukuman had the opportunity to work with Griffin both at an academic level, as math teachers, and on an athletic level, with a coach-athletic director relationship. "I think he was always trying to do what's best for Roseville High School and the athletes and the students," said Fukuman, Roseville's girls' varsity basketball coach. "That's always been on the top of his priority list. I think he was dedicated to his position."Fukuman said Griffin connected with a multitude of students, both academically and athletically."He was strict but was still able to get his point across," he said. "The students were still able to get a laugh out of him and express their thoughts.""He knew a ton of students, and they all have nothing but good things to say about him," said Greg Granucci, a Roseville PE teacher and boys' varsity basketball coach. "He really went above and beyond being a teacher for these kids. He's going to be missed."Griffin is survived by wife Nancy Griffin, of Granite Bay; daughters Kara Schroeder of Portland, Ore.; Emily Griffin of Carmichael and Jillian Flor of Twentynine Palms; mother Maryo Griffin of Portland, Ore.; sister Pamela Chase of Portland, Ore.; and brother Rock Griffin of Boston.-Loryll Nicolaisen can be reached at lorylln@goldcountrymedia.com.