Dick began his teaching and coaching career at Emerson Elementary School in 1958. The following year he moved to Stivers as assistant football and track coach to replace Joe Sullivan who had stepped down to concentrate on gymnastics and baseball.
The building of Belmont High School in the late 1950’s and Rt. 35 in the 1960’s decimated the Stivers district resulting in some lean years for the Tigers. In the early 60’s Dick Landis was hard pressed to recruit enough athletes to field a football team but by 1966 the Tigers were again playing for the City Championship. In a very close and hard fought game Stivers would end up losing to Roth.
In 1969 Dick relinquished his coaching positions to replace retired athletic director and Stivers Hall of Famer Horace “Hawk” English. He served in that capacity from 1969 to 1972, a traumatic period of busing and racial unrest within the Dayton Public Schools.
After leaving Stivers, Dick became the athletic director at Carmel Junior High in Carmel IN. He later started the athletic program at Clayton Junior High.
Through the years Dick received several awards for coaching and leadership. One such award was the “Bill Hosket Miami Valley Coach of the Year” award in 1966. Another was awarded by the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association “Award of Merit” in 1989.
Dick can now claim another award as a 2009 inductee in the Stivers Athletic Hall of Fame.
Dick and his wife Joyce are enjoying their retirement in Carmel, Indiana. They have four children, seven grand children and one great-grandchild.
Coach I didn’t know, that they inducted you. I would have been there. You deserve the honor, so congratulations. You meant a lot to me, in my school years. So thank you for what all you did, for me and all that you touched. God bless!!!!