Billy Snow was been named Oregon Athletic Coaches Association 4A track and field coach of the year on May 23.
Problem was, he wasn’t at the presentation.
While the awards ceremony was happening, Snow was at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon watching his boys track and field squad win its second straight state championship.
“There was no way I was going to miss that,” he said.
“That (award) belongs more to the kids than me,” he said. “I have to organize things and all that. The buck stops here. But they won it.”
Football Coach Rob Younger, who presented Snow with the award at an assembly on May 26, the Tuesday after the state meet, said he likes the fact that Snow doesn’t play favorites.
“I think the thing that impresses me the most about Billy is every year he coaches the same,” Younger said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re the college athlete type or if you’re only going to compete at the high school level. He treats you the same.
“Billy’s going to be the same whether the team isn’t going to score a point at state or whether it’s going to win state. He’s coaching for the right reasons.”
Athletic Director Dave Goetz said Snow is “a professional in every sense of the word.
“He handles himself professionally no matter what he is doing €“ on the field, in the classroom, in the community. He’s very deserving of that award.”
Younger noted that the track program’s excellence is due not only to Snow’s focus on all his athletes) but to assistant coaches such as “Jim Kistner, Randy Whitfield, Tony Ward, Krystle Streight and others.”
“He’s surrounded himself with good people,” Younger said. “Yes, it’s an individual award, but surrounding himself with good coaches has made a difference.