Beloved Union City football coach battling terminal brain cancer

UNION CITY, Calif. - On Sept. 30, 2024, Sandor Verstrepen's life changed forever. 

The teacher and coach at Itliong-Vera Cruz Middle School in Union City was diagnosed with class four Glioblastoma and given between four and 14 months to live. 

"It was devastating, how do you wrap your head around a diagnosis like that," said Jennifer Verstepen, Sandor's wife. "The doctor came in and announced bluntly, he had multiple brain tumors."

It was Jennifer who noticed something was off about her husband. 

"As football season is starting, I normally don't see him, he's planning, preparing, putting together practice," said Jennifer. " That weekend before the diagnosis should've been him doing all those things and he did nothing."

Jennifer recalls her husband sitting around more than normal.

Sandor grew up in the Bay Area. He played football at James Logan High School before going on to play at Chabot College and then Sonoma State before he found his true passion – coaching. 

"I hope they know I cared," Sandor said. 

Over the last 28 years, Sandor has coached and taught thousands of students and athletes. 

But this football season was different. 

Instead of drawing up plays and strategizing, Sandor was being shuttled to different doctors, forced to step away from the field while undergoing chemo and radiation. 

But his outlook is shockingly positive. 

"What am I going to do? I have no control, there's no need for me to get sad," Sandor said. "I've never been sad, I've always been positive. I'm not a sad person, it's just not me."

Jennifer is not sure if the placement of the tumors is affecting her husband's emotional response to the diagnosis. 

But, it is putting things into perspective for both of them.

It sounds cliché, but they're appreciating the little things, like emails from former students. 

One wrote an email saying:

"I just wanted to let you know you cheered me on when I felt down. I like you Mr. Verstrepen. If I think about you once in a while, you bring a smile to my face. 

Sandor teared up reading it aloud to KTVU as he sat at his dining room table. 

On Feb. 1, Sandor hopes to return to the sideline when a football camp will be held in his honor at his alma mater. 

"Because coaching is his passion, I would love to see kids come out for this camp," Jennifer said. "I know it's important to him. I know being out there doing that, that's him, that's who he is."

If you want to register for the camp, you can go to: https://www.papastevefootballcamp.com/sandor-strong-winter-camp.cfm