Roseburg football coach gets national nod
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Roseburg High School football coach Thurman Bell can now add 2011 National Coach of the Year to his long list of accomplishments.
The National Federation of State High School Associations selected him out of 20 other finalists.
Bell calls this a once in a lifetime honor, but says he didn't get this far on his own. "Not just for me, I think the honor needs to be shared with all of these great players I've had all the years and all of the great coaches that have been here working with me," Bell said. "This is not a one man job, believe me."
Thurman has coached the Indians for 41 years, and in that time he has won several league titles along with a couple of state championships.
He's currently the second most winning coach in state history with 315 victories under his belt.
Bell notes that the success of his program has never been measured in just wins and losses. "Our program, we like to teach things more than just how to win a football game and how to lose a football game, for instance. This is what happens when you stay in a job and you stay for a long time. Believe me, it's been quite a few years for me, so when you get old, good things start to happen."
Bell will receive the actual award at the OSAA banquet this Spring.
