LAND O’ LAKES — For more than three decades, Vanie Benedetto was the Land O’ Lakes High football team’s biggest cheerleader. Literally — she coached the school’s cheerleaders. She was also its “Team Mom,” statistician, fundraiser, field painter, public-address announcer and, when the occasion called for it, cook.
Now she has joined her late husband, longtime Gators football coach John Benedetto, in the school’s hall of fame. Vanie received the Lifetime Service Award as part of the 2026 induction class, honored Oct. 20.
At Land O’ Lakes, the Benedetto name needs no introduction. There isn’t a student, alum, teacher, administrator, parent or longtime local who doesn’t know it. John coached the Gators for 32 years, and their son, Gio, played for him.
Through it all, Vanie watched hundreds of players suit up on Friday nights, and plenty of them tried her pasta sauce — before and after games.
“When it comes to Land O’ Lakes High School, it’s a family,” she said. “I truly mean that. I mean, there’s people here that I’ve known since 1979. And it’s incredible to see this community that’s been around for 40, 50 years now still interact with each other.”
Being “Miss V” to generations of players meant as much to her as it did to them, she said.
“I’m just so thankful for all those years and all the players and students John and I worked with here at Land O’ Lakes,” she said.
During her years at the school — as a technology specialist, volunteer and cheerleading coach — Vanie said she and John were a “true power couple” who complemented each other.
“Where I might have a weakness, he seemed to have a strength, and where, you know, I had a strength, that’s where he had a weakness,” she said.
She didn’t limit her help to football. She kept statistics, filmed games, worked concessions, raised money, painted fields and announced games for other Gators teams, too.
Meanwhile, John won 196 games and 13 district titles before his contract was not renewed after the 2008 season. In late 2012, the school renamed its stadium in his honor. About six months later, he died in his sleep, two days after his 66th birthday. He was inducted into the hall of fame posthumously in 2014.
“We would always talk things out, together,” Vanie said. “We would work together and not just dismiss a thing that was suggested. He was so open-minded about things and always there for the kids. We would say that this was a really good idea, or this may take some work, but we were going to do it, and for the kids.
“And that’s just how we did it for all our years here.”
Vanie doesn’t make it back to many Land O’ Lakes games or events these days, though she has attended a few hall of fame inductions. She lives in Tampa, where she golfs, relaxes, spends time with her grandchildren and is helping plan her 60th high school reunion.
And, of course, she thinks about John.
“We were incredible together,” she said. “So every day. Every second.”
2026 Land O’ Lakes High Hall of Fame Class
Brian Baisley — baseball/basketball
Jeff Baisley — baseball/basketball
Vanie Benedetto — Lifetime Service Award
Claudine Hawkins Nipps — volleyball/basketball/softball/tennis
Robin Hilgenberg — swimming coach/administrator
