Fernley High School softball coach Diane Chapin was announced as the winner of this year’s Vaquero Hart Award at the FHS Booster Club Crab Feed on March 7 at the Fernley Senior Center.
The Vaquero Hart Award, named after former Fernley football coach Dave Hart, is presented annually to an individual who has made an extraordinary impact on Fernley High School.
Booster Club member Chrissy Haas said the honor recognizes a legacy of service, leadership and long-term influence on student development, school programs, facilities and culture, and public community service that demonstrates commitment to the legacy of excellence in the Fernley community.
Booster Club President Jackie Kingston shared a personal memory of first encountering Chapin years ago.
“I met Diane when my husband (Tom Kingston) coached against her in Winnemucca all those years ago,” she said. “Our goal was to beat Diane because she was so good at what she did. We’d say, ‘That blond lady, she knows her game.’”
The two coaches met in the 2006 state title game, with Lowry winning. They met again in 2007, and Chapin’s team came out on top.
“And then Tom said, ‘Let’s move to Fernley. I think I want to coach softball under Diane,’” she said with a laugh. “And I said, ‘Okay.’”
Chapin, who also coaches volleyball, has the most wins of any softball coach in state history, entering this season with 682. She has also led the Vaqueros to the state tournament 14 times, winning seven state titles, tying her for second in state history with Dick Allen, who coached at Reed and Wooster.
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