Former Thibodaux football coach Pat Szush honored for over 40 years of leadership
Friends, former students and family gathered over the weekend to hold a celebration honoring a local man who coached Thibodaux football teams for more than 40 years.
Pat Szush, 91, served as head football coach at Thibodaux Junior High for three years, Thibodaux High for eight years and E.D. White High for 15 years.
More than 300 people gathered Saturday in the E.D. White gym to honor the retired coach. Over 26 years as a head coach, he racked up 175 wins, 76 losses and 13 ties. He led E.D. White to state football championships in 1968 and 1969. He also held assistant coaching jobs at several Thibodaux schools.
When Szush arrived at E D. White, then known as Thibodaux College High School, the football team wasn't doing so well.
Retired Judge David Richard was the quarterback when Szush got his first head coaching job at the school in 1962. He said Szush made a positive impression on him by holding spring training, a first for the team. That one year of high school football has led to a 60-year relationship between the two men.
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"When I went there, they were 0-9 and 1, and I had a meeting with the kids, and I said, 'Look, ya'll know how to lose; you don't know what it's going to take to win,' " Szush said. "They went from there on and they carried the load, became good players, good kids and we had good coaches."
Thibodaux College went on to post 40 wins, 24 loses and 8 ties under Szush's leadership.
Szush was given a number of awards during Saturday's gathering, including a key to the city from Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete, an American Flag flown above the U.S. Capitol from Congressman Garret Graves, a Lifetime Achievement Award from state Rep. Zee Zeringue and an honorary key to the Lafourche Parish jail from Sheriff Craig Webre.
Szush credits his wife of 68 years with his coaching success. He married Beverly Fremin Szush in 1950, a year after he graduated from Thibodaux High. She graduated the next year. She passed away in September 2019.
"I had a good assistant coach, my wife for 68 years, and she loved football too, and she said, 'Keep on going,' and I said 'We're going to go.' So we kept playing," he said. "She said, 'Don't retire, go ahead, I like to sit in the end zone and watch you play.' "
This article originally appeared on Daily Comet: Over 300 gather to honor longtime Thibodaux football coach Pat Szush
