Page 44 - The Hunt - Summer 2022

COACH FOR THE AGES
continued from page 35
“I never want to stop doing what I do or officially shut down.”
BEST SELECTION OF GOURMET FOOD & BEST ONE-STOP SHOP FOR FOOD
The Vermeils first toured available
King Ranch land in 1983 with the late Georgianna Hannum Stapleton. A year later, they called the well-connected realtor. At the time, Vermeil was working in NFL broadcast booths, where he was compensated at twice his coaching salary. They sold their home in Bryn Mawr and moved to Chester County, bringing along three teenagers.
The Vermeils now have 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. High school sweethearts, they’ve been married 66 years. “You lead a good life if you make good decisions—and this one bound us to the East Coast,” Vermeil says.
Though he’s had a pair of hip replacements, Vermeil attributes his
longevity to a life in athletics and a consistent fitness routine since 2006. “I never want to stop doing what I do or officially shut down,” he says.
Vermeil surrounds himself with reminders of longevity—like the photo of childhood babysitter Jeanne Frediani, who ran her family’s Napa Valley vineyard until age 92. There’s also “Don’t Let the Old Man In,” the 2018 hit by country singer Toby Keith. “I must listen to that song three or four times
a week,” says Vermeil, who’s fond of the line, “Ask yourself how old you’d be if you didn’t know the day you were born.”
“Right now, I think I’m about 60,” he says. “I don’t like to use the word blessed, but I’ve been fortunate.” TH
42 THE HUNT MAGAZINE
summer 2022