TWINSBURG, Ohio — The Twinsburg community is in a state of shock Tuesday, as Superintendent Kathi Powers confirmed in a letter to parents and guardians that head high school baseball coach Jeff Luca has died.
According to Powers, Luca passed away following an accident in Pennsylvania, the details of which have not been made public. He leaves behind his wife Jen and three children, one of whom is currently a sophomore at Twinsburg High.
"In speaking with Mrs. Luca this evening, she shared how much Coach Luca loved his family," Powers wrote in her letter. "Mrs. Luca also shared that Coach Luca loved his baseball team and truly enjoyed being a part of our Tiger community. Coach Luca was a wonderful person who deeply cared about his student athletes, his coaching staff, and the families he came to know over the many years he coached our team."
An alum of both West Branch High School and the University of Akron, Luca previously served on the staffs at UA, John Carroll, Akron North High School, and Solon before joining Twinsburg's varsity staff in 2006 under the legendary Don Jones. Once Jones retired following the 2018 season, Luca was promoted to replace him, and he guided the Tigers to a 54-41 record over the next four seasons (the 2020 campaign was canceled due to COVID-19).
In addition to Luca's death, Powers also noted the passing of former Twinsburg bus driver Antoine Battle following a prolonged illness. Battle, whom Powers described as "a fantastic employee who was always friendly and quick with a smile," is survived by his wife Tawana and their two children, both of whom are THS students.
Powers says counselors will be made available to students at school on Wednesday. Details regarding the funeral arrangements for both Luca and Battle have not been announced.