Vince Koza, known to many just as the "Koz", was larger than life when it came to regional high school sports and the community. Vince was not a native to Lima, but he made it his home. He came to work at WLIO television in1980, eventually becoming the sports director. In 2008 he made the move to radio where he continued his love of promoting area sports with his “Sports talk with Koza” radio show.
"He did change the landscape of how sports is covered in west central Ohio and it's still going on today. So, I think that's a great feather in his cap. He would cover everything. That never use to happen,” says friend and Your Hometown Stations News Director Jeff Fitzgerald. “And when Vince got here it wasn't just football and basketball it was everything and that still goes on today."
Koza also loved the community referring it to it as "Limaland". He would step up and help whenever asked with many organizations including the American Cancer Society, Equestrian Therapy at Fasset Farms, Allen County Abilities Baseball League, Easter Seals, and others.
His wife Holly says Vince would give more of his time than he had and enjoyed every minute of it. "He would always have the time for what anybody needed or wanted him to do. It didn't matter how long his day was, how much he had to work or how much he had to get done. He always fit it in to help someone else. And I think that was one of his cool characteristics,” adds wife Holly Koza.
The community rallied around Vince when he was diagnosed with stage 4-kidney cancer in late September of 2019. He lost his battle on January 3rd of this year, but his legacy will live on.
"He's left a legacy behind for all the young kids that have come before him and the ones that are coming after him. They knew who Vince Koza was and all the good he did for the community,” says Holly.
"Yeah he loved sports, but he just loved the community, the kids and everybody in it,” adds Jeff.
The late great Vince Koza, one of your Jefferson Award Winners.
