Date: Fri 03-Apr-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Quick Words:

Rich-Pesce-Coach

Full Text:

Rich Pesce -- Coach of the Year (1998)

BY KIM J. HARMON

When Rich Pesce first opened the door to a coaching opportunity in 1984, he

didn't realize that first step would be such a doozy.

He first applied for a position as assistant cross country coach at Newtown

High School almost 14 years ago, but the surprise retirement of head coach

Roger Streeter left Mr Pesce as the sole inheritor to a program that was on

the verge of becoming almost legendary.

"This honestly caught me by surprise," said coach Pesce. "I don't really think

anyone who loves coaching does it because there is an award at the end of the

string."

Coach Pesce will be joining Newtown High School girls' track coach Rick Medve

at the CIAC Coach of the Year banquet Thursday, May 21, at the Aqua Turf in

Southington.

"I'll never forget the moment when I got the call," coach Pesce said. "It was

kind of neat."

Being thrown right into it so quickly, he had to teach himself and fly by the

proverbial seat of his pants. The first two years were the proving ground and

then the coach and his program took off together.

Throughout the 1970s and into the early '80s, the Newtown High School boys'

cross country team never achieved a great measure of success, outside of an

11-2 record and second-place finish in 1973.

But the harriers doffed the cloak of mediocrity just two years into the tenure

of coach Pesce and went on a seven-year run of almost epic proportions - a

75-meet winning streak (with seven Western Connecticut Conference

championships) that snapped a state record previously held by Staples of

Westport.

It started in 1986 with a 12-0 record, which included Newtown's first-ever win

over New Milford in the final regular season meet. It was part talent and part

magic, perhaps - Carolina Black Magic.

And it continued - 1987 (when the girls were also undefeated), 1988, 1989,

1990, 1991, 1992 . . . a long succession of years that did not come to an end

until a 22-37 loss to Bethel in the final regular season meet of 1992.

"We never talked about (the streak)," said coach Pesce, "never proclaimed it,

never focussed on it. But it was important to the kids. It was a tradition we

created and it raised the sport to another level."

Coach Pesce reached his 100th career win in 1995.

"Once you get a group of kids dedicated to something," said coach Pesce, "it

becomes very pervasive. The nicest compliment I got was from Joe Smith (former

standout runner) who said I had turned cross country into something."

Things did not change much in 1995 or 1996. It was business as usual for the

eminently successful program. But last fall, coach Pesce suffered a mild heart

attack and had to remove himself from the sidelines for the first time in 13

seasons.

"This was a tough year," he admitted. "I felt I could some back, but the

reality was, I needed to stay away and have some rest time. I felt I really

should be there and it took something away from me. Not being there for the

championship or the state meets took the wind out of my sails."

But one season away is enough. In the fall of 1998, coach Pesce will once

again be patrolling the grounds at Newtown High with a stopwatch around his

neck.

"I'm getting excited about it," he said. "This has become a real important

part of my life. I can't imagine not having coached."