Auburn Township - Zane Vance, Assistant Coach for the Kent State Football Team, will be a special guest speaker at Friendship Alliance Church on Super Bowl Sunday. Men and boys from throughout the Portage-Geauga community are invited to watch the game on a big projection screen, enjoy food and drink, and listen to Coach Vance share his testimony during half-time.
The Friendship Alliance Super Bowl Event will be Sunday, February 7, 6-9 p.m. at the church, 19126 Ravenna Road (State Route 44), just south of Sirna’s Market and across the road.
Zane Vance is on his sixth season with the Golden Flashes coaching staff after joining the program prior to the start of the 2004 season as the inside linebackers coach. In his second year as the recruiting coordinator, Vance also became the special teams coordinator while working with the tight ends. His tenure as recruiting coordinator got off to a flying start as the Flashes’ 2009 signing class was rated 62nd in the country by Rivals.com -- tops in the Mid-American Conference and the highest in the history of the program. In his role as linebackers coach, he mentored Derek Burrell to a pair of All-MAC honors after he posted 112 and 119 tackles in back-to-back seasons.
Vance came to Kent State following eight successful years as the special teams coordinator, linebackers and fullbacks coach with the Dobyns-Bennett H.S. football team in Kinsport, Tennessee. During his tenure at Dobyns-Bennett, 1996-03, the team captured the Big East Conference title in seven of eight seasons. Prior to his position at Dobyns-Bennett, Vance served as head coach of the Unicoi County H.S. football team in Erwin, Tennessee from 1993-95. In his time there, he led his team to the playoffs for the first time in 15 years.
He started his coaching career at his alma mater, East Tennessee State University. There he served as the defensive line coach from 1987-91, where he was able to coach two future NFL players.
Vance was a letter-winner at East Tennessee State University in 1984 where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1986. He continued his education at Austin Peay State University, earning a master’s degree in health and physical education. He and his wife Debbie have five sons: Nate, Taylor, Isaac, Seth and Luke. The family resides in Stow.
Plenty of hot dogs, chips, finger foods, desserts and more will be on hand during the Friendship Alliance Super Bowl Outreach. Participants are welcome to bring additional snacks or non-alcoholic beverages to share. For more information, call the church at (440) 834-0955 or Mick Maschek at (330) 569-7002.
