THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606190124
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 39 lines
A DESIRE TO COACH a championship team has been the driving force behind the success of Norcom's girls track coach Vincent Pugh, who has been chosen by Currents as the high school Coach of the Year in Portsmouth.
And Pugh has partially reached his goal.
His Norcom girls team won the Southeastern District indoor track title this year, the first ever for the Greyhounds. His outdoor team finished runner-up to Great Bridge.
``The outdoor championship is what we are after,'' said Pugh.
``That's really the reason I stepped down as wrestling coach at Norcom. I couldn't see anybody ever beating Great Bridge and without a middle school feeder program Portsmouth teams simply couldn't compete with Chesapeake.
``When I was coaching football and wrestling at Manor I noticed a lot of track talent that we had coming from folks zoned for Norcom. When I moved to Norcom in 1988, I still saw that.
``In 1990 I started coaching outdoor track at Norcom and indoor track in 1992. I gave up wrestling and felt my best bet at building a district champion would be in girls track.''
The Norcom team racked up 132 points in the district indoor meet, 39 points more than second-place Great Bridge.
Now in his 11th year of coaching, Pugh has developed Norcom's girls track from a handful of competitors to a squad of 20. ``We are losing some outstanding seniors,'' he said. ``But we have a good group of people returning and some fine young talent. If we can find some sprinters and hurdlers, we might be in that outdoor championship chase again next season.''
Last year's winner of the Coach of the Year award was Churchland basketball coach Mac Carroll.
The runners-up this year were Churchland girls basketball coach Duke Conrad, whose Truckers won the Southeastern District title, and Portsmouth Christian boys basketball coach Larry Smith, who guided his team to the Metro Conference crown and the best record in school history. by CNB