By Joseph Staszewski
Longtime Holy Cross football coach Tom Pugh is stepping away from the sidelines.
The 68-year-old Pugh and the school announced his retirement Friday after 42 seasons at the helm of the Knights and 46 years coaching high school football. He will still work in the school’s guidance department, help out the program when he can and remain the vice president of the Catholic High School Football League.
He just felt he no longer had the passion for the day-to-day grind and long hours of coaching. Pugh wanted to enjoy more time with his family and grandkids also.
“There is nothing I’m not going to miss, but sometimes you just know it’s time to give somebody else a shot and sit back a little bit,” Pugh said,
He began giving more responsibility to assistant head coach Tim Smith over the last four years. Last season after an overtime win against Chaminade he knew it was time to walk way.
The Knights won the game on a play Pugh put in the day before the game for that exact situation. Flyers coach Stephen Boyd even acknowledged the perfect call in the post game handshake. But Pugh did not get the same thrill from the moment as he had in the past.
“Everything worked in our favor and normally that would keep you elated for three days,” Pugh said. “To me it was just like another day at the office.”
The players could sense Pugh was starting to slowly concede control of the coaching responsibilities. They saw a possible retirement coming. He seemed more relaxed this year even as the Knights suffered through a tough 3-7 season.
“We kind of knew because he was very laid back and he is getting older,” junior receiver Ahmed Bah said. “His role kind of changed. He let the assistant coaches take charge sometimes.”
While Pugh’s time on the sidelines has some to a close, his life in football is far from over. He plans on staying around the program, the CHSFL and Boomer Esiason Foundation Empire Challenge All-Star game.
“I’m still going to be active,” Pugh said. “Football is not going to go away.”
