NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- When Otis Washington graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 1961, he was your typical college graduate.
He had no idea what he would do next.
He did have three options: head west to California, become involved in the Civil Rights Movement or accept a job as a coach.
With the paltry sum of $16.82 in his pocket, California was out of the question.
The Civil Rights Movement was probably too serious for many in his age group.
He’s not sure why, but he took the least appealing road at the time and accepted a coaching position, even though he wasn’t interested in a coaching career.
“I figured I’d stay at St. Augustine for a year and then get the heck out of there,” he said.
One year turned into 18 and produced one of the state’s most successful high school coaching tenures, and the coach who wasn’t interested in coaching was enshrined in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in Natchitoches on Saturday.
When your 11-year head coaching résumé includes three state championships and a runner-up trophy, seven district titles in the ultra-competitive Catholic League, an 80 percent winning rate and more than 120 players sent to colleges around the country, it’s difficult to believe coaching really wasn’t on his radar.
CONTINUE READING
No comments:
Post a Comment