Photo submitted to the Times Observer Paul Clough is pictured with his kids, Collin and Lilly. Clough, a teacher and coach in the district, died last week at the age of 40.

To his family and many in the Youngsville community, Paul Clough was first and foremost a dedicated father. But as a man who wore many hats, the 1999 Youngsville High School graduate also was Paul Clough the coach and Paul Clough the teacher, among others.

“He was a mentor, advocate, educator, tutor and friend,” said Amy Beers, principal at Youngsville Middle-High School. “He was a fixture at school sporting events and provided encouragement to student athletes. He will be deeply missed.”

Clough, whose bond with student-athletes as Youngsville’s wrestling coach later spurred a career change to education, died Thursday, March 17, in the school wrestling room where he spent countless hours expounding his love of the sport. He was 40.

In describing what made Clough a great in his roles, Beers noted his interactions with students.

“He stood in hallways in between classes and expressed genuine care and concern for them,” she told the Times Observer. “He was interested in his students and student-athletes beyond high school and still had a network of student athletes in college, the military and the workforce for which he kept tabs on and provided mentorship.”

She added, “Caring about students beyond the content and outside of the four walls of the classroom is a special quality. Paul wasn’t afraid to tell students what they needed to hear at the moment, but he also continued to follow through with encouragement, his time, and his presence to let kids know that he genuinely cared.”

Early on in his tenure, Clough increased his presence at Youngsville by working as a substitute teacher during the day and coaching in the evenings. With two children of his own in school at the time, Beers said Clough “knew many of the teachers and students, so he acclimated to the life of a substitute easily due to his connections as a coach, parent and school community member.”

He eventually went back to school for his teaching degree. During that time, he taught high school math at both Youngsville and Warren while still serving as head coach of the wrestling team.

Clough completed his student teaching last year at Youngsville in middle-level science. He was hired for a year-long position teaching high school science, splitting time between Youngsville and Eisenhower.

When his son, Collin, graduated high school, Clough stepped down as head coach of the wrestling team. He was quickly picked up at Sheffield as an assistant coach and eventually signed back on with Youngsville as an assistant track coach.

“Paul and I shared a passion for the sport of wrestling,” said John Victor, coach of Youngsville’s track team and who hired Clough. “There were few conversations we had that did not involve some sort of conversation about wrestling. From little kids to college wrestling, we talked about it all. It was during these conversations we also spoke about other athletic activities in Youngsville.”

Victor, also a teaching colleague, said the two of them spoke often of getting more students involved in athletics.

“Though wrestling was his sport of choice, his love for Youngsville High School and the community could not be measured,” he said. “He will be greatly missed is an understatement.”

Clough’s natural ability to connect with athletes likely helped his transition to the classroom. Adam VanOrd said Clough could meet a “room full of students” he had never met, and when they left “they would all have built a strong connection to him.”

VanOrd alluded to an indefinable character trait that some in education possess. “It cannot be taught, but everyone you meet knows you have it,” he said. “Paul possessed this quality.”

He added, “Paul was incredibly devoted to and passionate about wrestling and the wrestling program, not only at (Youngsville), but across Warren County. However, as someone who taught with him daily, I can say that his interests went far beyond wrestling. We talked about camping, spending time with our families, extreme sports and numerous other topics. Paul would connect with the students about any topic that interested them and meet them with background knowledge and genuine interest. For this reason and many others, he will be greatly missed in my classroom and our school community.”

Clough is survived by his parents, Dean and Caryll Snader Clough; his wife, Jennifer Darling Clough; children, Collin and Lilly; a brother, Christopher Clough; a sister, Emily Poole; maternal grandparents, Wesley and Barbara Snader; and nieces and nephews, Emma, Ian and Jack Darling, Carleigh and Benjamin Baxter, and Morgan and Harley Poole.

A funeral service for Clough will be today at 2 p.m. at Evangelical United Methodist Church, 18 Second St., Youngsville.

The Paul Clough Memorial Fund has been established at Northwest Bank. Funds received will be used for a scholarship for any senior wrestler in Warren County.