Coach Of Year Visits Wawasee

SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee High School will play host to a special visitor tonight when Pete Shock, the 1999 National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association's Coach of the Year, speaks at 7 p.m.

Shock contacted Wawasee Athletic Director Mary Hurley in April and told her that he would be in Syracuse visiting relatives in July. He offered to put on a one-day camp for area players to benefit the athletic department as a small way to pay tribute to his father, Dale, who died last summer.

Dale Shock graduated in 1920 from Syracuse High School, where he played basketball for the Yellow Jackets. He settled in New Mexico after college and became a successful and respected coach.

Shock coached at Cliff High School from 1935 to 1974, where he won over 500 games. In 1976 a new gymnasium was built at Cliff High School and named "Dale Shock Gymnasium" in his honor.

After playing basketball for his father and graduating from Cliff High School, Pete Shock graduated from college and coached at another New Mexico high school for a few years. In 1978, Pete took over the head coaching position at Cliff High School in the gym named after his father. Since then, the younger Shock and his Cowboys have been to the state championship 18 consecutive times, won six championships (1982, 1983, 1985, 1994, 1996 and 1997) and won three runner-up titles. Cliff High School, with an enrollment of 123, also has earned 14 District 4A titles and 13 Region C championships under him.

In December, Shock earned his 500th career coaching victory, something only six other New Mexico coaches (including his father) have accomplished. Almost two weeks later (January 6), he was named the boys basketball National Coach of the Year for 1999.

While racking up an impressive 501-161 career record, Shock has been named the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice and was inducted into the NMHSC's Hall of Honor in 1995. Shock has been voted the Class A Coach of the Year four times by the New Mexico sports writers and broadcasters.

Shock will be at Wawasee High School at 7 this evening to share his story about his life with basketball. The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m.