The CHSFL will have a different feel come this fall after the passing of legendary St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, football coach Vince O’Connor.
But to take it a step further, the Prep’s “Battle of the Boulevard” rival Holy Cross H.S., Flushing, will also be seeking a new coach.
After 42 years of coaching and mentoring thousands of high school student-athletes, Tom Pugh announced his retirement as the head varsity football coach for the Holy Cross Knights.
“When that passion starts to wane a little bit, it’s time to walk away for a while,” said Pugh, who racked up 215 career victories and eight CHSFL titles. “It’s time to just kick back a little bit and go from there.”
Pugh though will still be plenty busy, as he will remain at Holy Cross as a guidance counselor and moderator of the law club and will continue his responsibilities as vice president of the CHSFL. He will also be instrumental in helping the new Knights’ head coach adjust to the position.
Though football has been his life for over 50 years, Pugh grew up as a Catholic Youth Organization baseball star at St. Boniface Church, Elmont, L.I. In fact, he was a member of the Little League baseball team that became the first in Elmont’s history to win the N.Y. state title in 1959.
While he excelled on the diamond, a passion for the sport of football developed when he was nine years old. His father, the late Thomas Pugh, was a renowned reporter and editor for the New York Daily News, and he was able to go down onto the field at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan to watch New York Giants’ greats Charlie Conerly and Frank Gifford excel in their craft.
From age 10-14, Pugh played football for the Valley Stream Green Hornets youth team. At Elmont H.S., he was the varsity’s quarterback during his senior season. In his two years on varsity, his team only lost one game.
Pugh’s football career continued as he earned an athletic scholarship to Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan. He played all four years, two as a quarterback and two as a defensive back. He then became a graduate assistant coach for the team before returning back to New York, where he began teaching in the Sewanhaka, L.I., school district.
His brother Jimmy played football at Chaminade H.S., Mineola, L.I., which allowed Pugh to connect with legendary coach Joe Thomas, one of the founding fathers of the CHSFL. Thomas hired Pugh as the school’s freshman football coach in 1969, and he later became an assistant on varsity for the next three seasons.
Meanwhile, the head coaching position at Holy Cross opened up prior to the 1973 season, and it was another coaching legend, Holy Cross’ varsity basketball coach Bill O’Meara – who happened to be Pugh’s neighbor – who told him to apply.
Holy Cross was seeking a young, energetic coach, and Pugh fit the bill. He was also hired as a guidance counselor and phys ed instructor.
Taking over the program, Pugh knew it would be a long-term project. The team finished 1-7 his first season, but that was all part of the process. The following year, he hired Stan Aufieri as his assistant, and together they implemented a system that began showing improvements.
Steady Progress
The Knights were 3-5 the second year, 4-4 the third year, 8-1 the fourth year and capped off an undefeated 10-0 season in the fifth year. This progression was exactly what Pugh was trying to do. “We didn’t rush it,” he said. “We took our time.”
Over the years, Holy Cross consistently fielded competitive teams. Pugh credits his assistant coaches – Aufieri, who remained for 41 of Pugh’s 42 years, and Tim Smith, who joined the fold three years ago – for the success of the program.
Pugh was recognized for this success with inductions into the Holy Cross and CHSAA Halls of Fame and received numerous accolades including the Frank McGuire Award and the Ernie Accorsi Award from the National Football Foundation.
But as he now looks back on his football coaching career, the individual wins, championships and awards really don’t mean all that much. Instead, as Pugh said, it’s always about the kids.
“Our philosophy with Holy Cross football has always been the same: how many men out of how many boys? That’s what it’s about,” he said. “I can’t emphasize that enough. That’s why I coach. I coach because of the camaraderie and watching kids grow up.”
Since 1985, there have never been fewer than 27 Holy Cross graduates in any given year playing football at competitive college programs across the country.
“My proudest thing as a coach is that our kids play at the next level,” Pugh said. He’s helped send dozens of players to college, and a handful even reached the NFL.
Based on his longevity, he was also able to coach 12 father-son combinations, another source of pride.
“Coach Pugh instilled so much confidence in us as players and as people,” said Tim Lisante, Holy Cross Class of 1974 and one of the captains from his first season. “I’m so proud my son Patrick also had the privilege of playing for him.”
Pugh said the aspect of coaching he will miss most is the preparation work involved in the off-season. But since he will still be in the school, football will undoubtedly remain a part of his life, and he’s grateful to Holy Cross for giving him the opportunity to join the Knights 42 years ago.
“This is home,” Pugh said of Holy Cross. “It’s always been home for me. It’s been a family for me.”
And just like Holy Cross has been a family for him, Pugh has now been forever entrenched in the football family of Knights.
Contact Jim Mancari via email at jmmanc@gmail.com.