North Carolina High School Athletic Directors Association Names Fifth Hall Of Fame Class
Four members have been named by the North Carolina High School Athletic Directors Association as the fifth class for induction in its own Hall of Fame.
The new NCHSADA Hall of Famers include Dave Johnson of Charlotte, Glenn Nixon of Clayton, Bob Sawyer of Greensboro and George Whitfield of Greenville.
They will be recognized at the annual North Carolina High School Athletic Directors Association state conference in Atlantic Beach, scheduled for April 19-21.
The NCHSADA Hall of Fame has been established to recognize achievement and excellence for athletic administration. The inductees are honored at the NCHSADA's annual state convention, and a permanent display honoring the athletic directors' Hall of Fame is located in the offices of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association in Chapel Hill. The new class brings to 27 the number in the Hall.
This year's inductees include:
DAVE JOHNSON
A native of Stony Brook, NY, Dave spent 31 years as a math teacher, coach and athletic director at Olympic High School in Charlotte.
A graduate of Davidson College, Johnson was AD at Olympic from 1986 through '98 . His coaching experience there included as head baseball coach for 10 years, head football coach for six and basketball for a couple of seasons, too.
Johnson was an officer of the NCHSADA from 1989-92, during which time he helped to update and rewrite the organization's constitution, establish new and effective financial policies that have insured stability, and helped establish various committees which are still operating. A certified athletic administrator, Johnson has also served on a variety of NCHSAA committees, including realignment. He also has served several 4-A conferences as secretary.
GLENN R. NIXON
Born in Buffalo, New York, Glenn Nixon compiled a brilliant coaching record in football and as an athletic administrator, although during his career he also coached baseball, track, golf and basketball.
A 1955 graduate of N.C. State University, Nixon coached one year at Beulaville High in Duplin County and then went to Clayton, where he served as football coach and athletic director from 1959 to 1985. Following that stint, he served nine years as the athletic director for the Johnston County school system.
Nixon's football teams rolled up an overall record of 203-95-4 and were perennial playoff contenders. He was head coach of the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team in 1982.
He was the North Carolina High School Athletic Director of the Year in 1984-85, and also served on the NCHSAA Board of Directors.
ROBERT R. SAWYER
Bob Sawyer put together an amazing career as an athlete, teacher, coach and athletic director, all affiliated with one school.
Bob was an individual state swimming champion on teams that won the overall state title at Greensboro Senior in 1954 and '55. He continued his brilliant career at East Carolina, earning all-America honors and winning two national championships in the backstroke.
He returned to his high school alma mater in 1961 for a 30-year run, which was later renamed Grimsley, and achieved incredible success as a coach. His teams won 16 consecutive conference championships and an unprecedented 15 straight NCHSAA state titles in swimming. He also coached track, cross country and junior varsity football during his career.
A charter member of the East Carolina University Sports Hall of Fame, he guided Grimsley as athletic director to numerous Wachovia Cup state titles. He was the state athletic director of the year in 1992-93.
GEORGE WHITFIELD
A graduate of Kinston's Grainger High School and East Carolina University, George Whitfield is nationally known for his baseball success and knowledge. He was successful wherever he coached; he served as head baseball coach at Goldsboro from 1959 through '67 and posted a 103-37 mark, went to Hamlet High where his teams were 91-17 and won the state 3-A championship in 1968, and then coached at the consolidated Richmond County High where he won three state titles and rolled up an amazing 159-19 mark.
Overall, his prep coaching mark was a stellar 360-75, a winning percentage of almost .830, and included 12 conference crowns. Whitfield-coached American Legion squads posted an overall record of 560-195, won four state championships and made an appearance in the American Legion World Series in 1983.
Whitfield was named as the national high school baseball coach of the year in 1974. He served on the Board of Directors of the NCHSAA for four years and was the state athletic director of the year in 1988-89 while at Richmond. He also worked as the athletic director at Mount Olive College and baseball coach at Pitt Community College.
Honorees in the charter class, inducted in 1995, included NCHSAA executive director Charlie Adams, former Charlotte-Mecklenburg director of athletics Dave Harris, Russ Blunt of Durham's Hillside High School, long-time Greenville Rose athletic director and NCHSADA executive secretary Richard "Bud" Phillips; former High Point athletic administrator A.J. "Tony" Simeon, and Norma Harbin of Winston-Salem, the first female athletic director at a 4-A school in North Carolina.
Willie Bradshaw of Durham, Mike Brown of Wilmington, Jack Groce of Boone, Red Hoffman of Wilkesboro, Leon Brogden of Wilmington and Homer Thompson of Winston-Salem joined the Hall in 1996. The 1997 inductees included Ruth Pool of Durham, Bill Eutsler of Rockingham, Shu Carlton of Gastonia, Gilbert Ferrell of Wilson and Thell Overman of Wallace, while in '98 the Hall welcomed Jim Blake of Durham, Wat Holyfield of Raleigh, Carroll King of Raleigh, Benny Pearce of Fayetteville, Jerry McGee of Elizabeth City and Dudley Whitley of Rocky Mount.