Post by redbudfan on Nov 8, 2007 10:12:02 GMT -6
One of the greatest high school football coaches ever retired this week. Bob Shannon of East St. Louis Flyer fame decided to hang his whistle up and spend more time with his wife of 35 years.
Shannon was twice selected national coach of the year and his East St. Louis teams were 195-31. Counting his time over 31 seasons at East Side, Alton and CBC, Shannon's' career coaching record was 259-91.In one dominant three-year span in the mid-1980s, the Flyers were 40-0 with three straight state championships. It was a run of success matched by few teams in state history.
Some of his notable achievements are as follows:
• U.S. Attorney General's Award from Janet Reno in March 1997 for exposing corruption in the East St. Louis school system.
• Life story written by Kevin Horrigan in the book "The Right Kind of Heroes," 1992.
• Three-time national coach of the year by The Sporting News (1979, 1983, 1985).
• Two-time national coach of the year by USA Today (1984, 1985)
• -Named one of 53 "Faces of Hope" in the U.S. by President Bill Clinton for "touching the lives of others in a positive way through their work in their communities." (1992)
• Featured in October 1990 issue of People magazine; October 1991 issue of Reader's Digest; also featured on television show "60 Minutes."
Shannon was twice selected national coach of the year and his East St. Louis teams were 195-31. Counting his time over 31 seasons at East Side, Alton and CBC, Shannon's' career coaching record was 259-91.In one dominant three-year span in the mid-1980s, the Flyers were 40-0 with three straight state championships. It was a run of success matched by few teams in state history.
Some of his notable achievements are as follows:
• U.S. Attorney General's Award from Janet Reno in March 1997 for exposing corruption in the East St. Louis school system.
• Life story written by Kevin Horrigan in the book "The Right Kind of Heroes," 1992.
• Three-time national coach of the year by The Sporting News (1979, 1983, 1985).
• Two-time national coach of the year by USA Today (1984, 1985)
• -Named one of 53 "Faces of Hope" in the U.S. by President Bill Clinton for "touching the lives of others in a positive way through their work in their communities." (1992)
• Featured in October 1990 issue of People magazine; October 1991 issue of Reader's Digest; also featured on television show "60 Minutes."
