“He never met a stranger,” Leo said. “He would walk into every broadcast booth and every press box and walk out on every sideline, and he would make friends with every single person he encountered. I think that his personality was a great balance with me as a broadcast partner because I tried to always be measured, and he would be very spur of the moment. He liked to mix things up and bring levity to every situation. He would keep me on my toes.”
Leo referred to Scoby as “The Coach” on the air because of Scoby’s long coaching career in different sports.
One of the nicest people u will ever meet. Fortunate to have him as a friend. Rest in Peace Jim Scoby. pic.twitter.com/11UzYlKwoK
— Joe Fincham (@CoachFincham) June 15, 2025
Scoby, a 1974 South High School graduate, was inducted into the North High School Wall of Fame in 2008 because of his coaching contributions there. He was a six-time Clark County Coach of the Year in boys and girls tennis and a five-time coach of the year in girls golf. He also served as an assistant boys basketball coach.
In 2004, Scoby coached the North girls golf team to a 20-0 record in the regular season.
“It’s just been a great ride,” Scoby said. “This year means so much to me because I feel so close to these girls. One day when I retire I’ll look back and think about the girls and the good times we had.”
Scoby also coached the Shawnee boys tennis team in the early 2000s for five seasons.
Scoby’s early coaching career included a three-year stint (1981-84) as the junior varsity basketball coach at his alma mater, South. Then in 1984, he took a job as a graduate assistant on Don Donoher’s basketball staff with the Dayton Flyers.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity to work with coach Donoher,” Scoby said then. “I’ve always admired him because I know what he stands for — hard work and integrity."
Prior to taking the job at Dayton, he was also a physical education teacher at Hayward Middle School.
“The hardest thing about leaving is the kids,” Scoby said. “I always felt like discipline and hard work are the refining fires of talent, and I always tried to instill that in them, that basketball isn’t going to last forever, that it’s not the most important thing — education is."
Scoby stayed at Dayton until 1989, transitioning to volunteer assistant coach. When Donoher lost his job, Scoby worked for one season on Dan Hipsher’s men’s basketball staff at Wittenberg. He then returned to Springfield City Schools as the athletic director at Hayward and a counselor.
In the 1990s, Scoby founded Hoops Unlimited, an after-school summer program that focused on reading character and basketball skills. He held the camp annually for years.
Scoby’s coaching career followed a basketball playing career (1974-78) at Anderson College (now called Anderson University) in Indiana. He ranks 20th in Anderson history in scoring (1,341 points) and sixth in rebounding (909).
After college, according to his obituary, Scoby “traveled South America with Athletes in Action, where he played and served as a missionary. He would later go on to serve with Youth With a Mission and perform mission work in China, Canada and Spain.”
Scoby had served as a trustee for the township government in Springfield Twp. since 2000. He started his sixth term in 2022. One of his duties was overseeing the road department. He also served as president of the Clark County Traffic Safety Council.
“I think people appreciate the fact that we do care about them and we try to do everything we can to try to make life better and safer,” Scoby told the News-Sun in 2021.
Among the people paying tribute to Scoby on Facebook was Tim Elliott, an assistant principal at Roosevelt Middle School.
“My heart hurts so bad,“ Elliott wrote. ”Coach Jim Scoby was one of the greatest, most caring human beings I’ve ever known. Such a legendary contributor to our community and to young people’s lives."
Marty Bannister, the former play-by-play broadcaster for Wittenberg athletics, wrote about Scoby leaving a positive impact on every person he met.
“We were friends for just over 30 years,” Bannister wrote on Facebook, “but from the first time we met, it seemed we had always been friends, and in each other’s lives. As Jim would always say, ‘We are making it happen!’ Rest in peace, big fella.”
A visitation will be held for Scoby from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Littleton & Rue Funeral Home on North Limestone Street. A memorial service will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Maiden Lane Church of God in Springfield.
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