It isn’t often when a coach who’s been with the same team for nearly 30 years decides he’s finally had enough.
Coach Steve Pazzie’s resignation from Augusta’s football team brings to end the longest coaching tenure in the team’s history.
While only here for one of those seasons, I already know what he brought not only to the team, but Augusta’s sports program as a whole.
Pazzie taught the players how to be accountable young men. He taught them how to do what they’re told and to know what is expected of them.
During practices, Pazzie instilled a great work ethic with the players. In talking with some of them this past season, it was apparent that Pazzie got their best efforts on a consistent basis.
Those are the kinds of principles future coaches should implement with the team.
Though his coaching didn’t translate into building a state powerhouse, that isn’t what he should be remembered for. Yes, the Orioles went through a lot of bad years. But in 2004 and 2005, Pazzie had players who sold out to what he wanted from his players. When that happened, the Orioles produced two of Pazzie’s best seasons with a 7-3 and 10-2 record.
It seemed, then, that Pazzie would be able to turn the corner and be a consistent winner. But four losing seasons followed. Only then would he receive criticism for his coaching, which isn’t fair.
Now is a time when athletes more and more are migrating to one sport, joining traveling clubs and the offseason workout scene. Sports are becoming more competitive. Players are gunning for those scholarships, and it’s affecting the high school sports landscape. Pazzie didn’t cater to those players who needed to look good in front of scouts, though he didn’t have many of those kind of players to have to deal with, anyway. He instead coached the game to give everyone a chance to play, learn about it, and to get involved.
But sports have become more than something kids do as an after-school activity. That is what Pazzie said didn’t sit well with him.
A way I can tell what he meant to the school’s athletic program is hearing the praises he gets from his assistant coaches, who had nothing but the utmost respect for Pazzie. Knowing that he had such an influence on those around him—a lot of them said the principles they use to coach is because of how Pazzie did things—is a great honor.
It will be interesting to see how much pressure there will be on Pazzie’s successor next season. I’m sure if there isn’t a quick turnaround, those same critics will come ready to lash out again, not realizing that high school isn’t like college where you can recruit players.
On a side note, kudos to Pazzie’s wife Jennifer, who was right there with him all those years. That’s not an easy thing to do.
