Four elected to Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame

NORRISTOWN >> Four coaches make up the latest class of inductees into the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame. They will be the centerpiece of the 14th annual induction banquet on Tuesday, Nov. 24.

The newest class of inductees includes former Plymouth Whitemarsh High and Ursinus College basketball coach Albert Angelos, Cheltenham High track and field coach Bob Beale, Germantown Academy field hockey and lacrosse coach Virginia Hofmann and former Spring-Ford High wrestling coach Pat Nugent.

In additional news, after 13 years of holding the banquet at Westover Golf Club in Jeffersonville, the event is moving to the grand ballroom at Normandy Farm Hotel and Conference Center in Blue Bell. The hotel can house out-of-town guests who will be attending the event.

Both Blue Bell Country Club and Normandy Farms are owned by Bud Hansen, who has a long history of involvement with sports. Nationally and internationally known sports stars such as basketball’s Charles Barkley and the late Tom Gola, baseball’s Mike Schmidt and Del Unser, plus golf’s Phil Mickelson, Jan Stephenson, Gary McCord and the late Payne Stewart all were involved in events at the property.

The new class of inductees, the first to grace the main dais at Normandy Farm, brings a long list of accomplishments to this year’s banquet.

Albert AngelosAl Angelos, who was a star guard on outstanding basketball teams at Plymouth Whitemarsh High and (then) Textile University, brought a keen intellect and a sharp competitive spirit to the coaching ranks.

After a short term in the assistant coaching ranks, a very young Angelos took over the head coach position at Ursinus in 1984. Coming off two losing seasons, he immediately turned around the fortunes at Ursinus.

After legendary coach Hank Stofko retired from a famously successful career at Plymouth Whitemarsh High, Angelos returned to his alma mater in 1991. Coincidentally, Stofko was a member of the inaugural Coaches Hall of Fame induction class.

Angelos stepped right into the shoes of his mentor and eventually led the Colonials to the PIAA-AAAA State Championship in 1997. His seven-year coaching record at PW, against some of the toughest competition in all of high school basketball, was 158-49. After leaving to launch a strong career in the business world, he returned to basketball and currently is a part-time assistant in the highly successful Archbishop Carroll High program.

Bob BealeOver a 33-year stretch, Bob Beale has molded the Cheltenham High track and field program into one of the elite organizations in the state … and the country. Earning a Doctor of Education degree in kinesiology and sports administration at Temple University, he used his education at the highest level at Cheltenham.

Despite spending some time coaching football and gymnastics along the way, it is in the world of track and field that he has risen to the top of a long list of great high school coaches.

He earned his first state championship medal in 1984, coaching the 1600 meter relay team to victory. Since then he has added another 22 individual or relay state championships. Along the way he has a number of conference and district team titles to his credit – and topped it all off with the PIAA Boys State Championship in 2014 and 2015, and the PIAA Boys Indoor State Championship in 2015.

In 2015 he was named the PIAA Indoor Coach of the Year for the fourth time in five years.

Virginia HofmannWhen discussing someone who is a career coach, the name of Virginia (Ginny) Hofmann should be at the head of the list.

Recently retired, she coached field hockey at GA for 39 years, 36 years as head coach. She posted a record of 363-215-89. She posted five Inter-Ac League championships and put together an undefeated season in 1979. Over the years she coached four All-America players.

That effort should be enough to merit Hall of Fame consideration for anyone. But Hofmann is not just “any coach.”

Over a 39-year stretch, she also coached the GA lacrosse team. Her record was 370-207-19, earning seven Inter-Ac League championships. She produced eight All-America players and eight Honorable Mention All-Americans. Her teams went undefeated in 1992 and 1997.

Her record as a two-sport coach, a rarity in today’s world, will remain unmatched.

Pat NugentPat Nugent is the quintessential example of the educator/coach. He applied himself totally in the classroom and in the wrestling room. When the demands of his promotion to principal of Spring-Ford High School made it impossible to continue in athletics, Dr. Pat Nugent hung up his whistle after one of the most storied stints in area wrestling history.

From 1987 to 1999, Nugent’s Spring-Ford High teams were virtually unbeatable on the wrestling mats. During those 13 seasons, his teams captured nine Pioneer Athletic Conference championships. Over that stretch his teams compiled an amazing 104-8-1 dual meet record.

Nugent’s teams put together winning streaks of 37 and 34 dual meet victories, marks that stood until recently. Seven times Nugent was named Wrestling Coach of the Year in the area.

And now, as principal at Spring-Ford High, he receives as much respect as an educator as he did as a coach.

***Selection Committee Chairman Tom Catagnus, a former basketball standout at Bishop Kenrick High and then-Philadelphia Textile University, summed up the 14th annual class of inductees by saying, “Every year I feel we have an outstanding group of inductees but this year’s class is exceptional because of its diverse nature and the way it covers every corner of the county.” said Catagnus. “We expect a big crowd for this year’s banquet.”

The four members of the new induction class, along with the yet-to-be-announced members of the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame Honor Roll (for volunteer coaches), and the yet-to-be-announced Lifetime Achievement Award winner, will be inducted at the Nov. 24 banquet.

Tickets for the banquet are available for purchase by contacting any member of the Hall of Fame Advisory Board. Additional information can be obtained by going to the website – www.mcchof.com or by calling the banquet management office at 610-279-9220.