TAUNTON — Superintendent-Director Dr. Alexandre Magalhaes and Athletic Director Mark Lebeda are pleased to announce that longtime Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School football coach Bill Moan has been inducted as the inaugural member of the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
Coach Moan was formally recognized at the BP football game against Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School on Oct. 15. Serving as the team’s annual homecoming game and final home game of the regular season, Moan was surprised with the honor during halftime of the game.
“Bill dedicated 34 years of his life to teaching, coaching and mentoring our student-athletes,” Superintendent Magalhaes said. “It is an honor to name him as the first ever inductee into our school’s new Athletics Hall of Fame. We thank him for everything he has done for our school, our athletics, and the students and families of BP.”
Director Lebeda said he has been trying to find ways to honor the school’s athletics program since taking over the position, and school administration was supportive of starting the Athletics Hall of Fame. Coach Moan was an easy choice, given not only his many years of success on the field but also the positive impact he has had on the lives of so many BP students.
“Coach Moan embodies everything we stand for at Bristol-Plymouth, including hard work, dedication and sportsmanship,” Director Lebeda said. “We started this hall of fame to honor those who have made meaningful contributions to our athletics program, and Bill is a perfect person to serve as our very first inductee.”
Coach Moan joined BP in 1974 as a gym teacher, and became the head coach of the football program in 1979. From then on the Craftsmen have been a perennial powerhouse in the Mayflower League. In 28 seasons he only had one losing record, guiding the team to numerous playoff appearances and a State Super Bowl birth.
He was joined by BP administrators and numerous former players on Oct. 15 for the induction announcement. Fittingly, BP earned a victory over Tri-County 28-14 thanks to a big second-half comeback.
Coach Moan retired in 2007, when his longtime assistant and former player John Parris took over head coaching duties. It was Parris who inducted Coach Moan into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame earlier this year.
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