Teacher, mentor, coach

SUN CITY – In the entire high school culture in the State of Illinois, there is only one man who can arguably be called “The Coach.” He has come to dwell among us in Sun City. At age 82, he is still doing it.

He is Joe Newton, who never has called himself “the greatest.” But he could, and prove it. He’s got the numbers to back it up.

High school sports have been played in Illinois for well over 100 years. Many coaches develop teams that flourish for a few years, and then graduation cycles, the launching of new schools, tougher competition, and cultural changes in communities almost always bring dominance by one school to an end.

Newton survived all these challenges for more than half a century at York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois. From 1962 to until now, the fall of 2011, he has compiled the greatest winning coaching record in state history. A spokesman for the Illinois High School Association, the organization that governs interscholastic sports in the state, puts it this way: “No coach has as many state titles and runner-up finishes in state history as does Joe Newton.”

Joe’s sport is boys’ cross country. He began coaching it at York at the varsity level in 1960, after four years as an assistant track coach. Since then, his teams have won 27 state championships, finished second 11 times, and third four times. In 49 of the 51 seasons since 1960, his teams have been a major contender for a state crown and have placed in the top three 42 times. His teams won state titles in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and in the first decade of the 21st century. His most recent team at York won his 27th title.

“In boys’ country for decades, all of us measured our programs by Joe’s at York,” a competing coach once said.

Joe grew up in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s south side. So he was a distance runner in high school, right?

“No,” Joe said. “I was a sprinter. I liked to run, but fast, for short distances. Ever since I can remember, I wanted to coach. I was mentored so well by so many coaches, I wanted to do the same thing.”

He went to Northwestern University, still sprinting. Along the way to earning degrees in physical education and math, he worked out and ran track constantly. He met Brad Pieper, one of the nation’s premier distance runners, in the 1950s.

“I watched him, got acquainted with him, picked his brains on his training techniques, and got to know a lot about how runners are developed and train,” Newton said.

He was drafted into the army in 1952, during the Korean War, and had another unexpected experience.

“Officers liked my running ability, and soon I was mentoring other guys,” Newton recalled. “When my unit was sent to Korea, I stayed behind and worked on fitness and running training.”

Out of the service in 1954, he landed a coaching job at Waterman High School near DeKalb. “I was track coach, baseball coach, athletic director, and taught physical education,” he said. “It was a great way to learn about high school athletics.”

In 1956, he saw an ad in the former Chicago Daily News about an opening for a physical education and math teacher at York.

So, how has he done it? How does one coach survive all the variables in high school sports to compile such a record over five decades? It’s a combination of a consistent and clearly defined coaching philosophy, a caring attitude toward athletes, and a no-nonsense attitude toward preparation and practice, he said.

“On or about August 10 each year, the cross country season starts, and I call a meeting of players and parents,” he said. “I say we will have three things that lead to success: 1) mutual trust among athletes and coaches, 2) commitment by players – they will commit to rising at 4:30 a.m. during the season, running 50-60 miles a week, and practicing every day when they aren’t competing.” And third, caring. “I convince them I care about each of them, and I ask them to care about me. I use Marine Corps discipline, and we create a lot of camaraderie.”

He uses one gimmick that might come under the heading of having fun. “I give each kid a nickname. I had a kid named Rivera, so I nicknamed him Ron, because Ron Rivera used to coach the Bears. Another kid played the trumpet, so I called him Harry James. One kid came to me all upset once and said, ‘How come you don’t trust me?’ I said, ‘I trust you.’ He said, ‘You haven’t given me a nickname.’”

A lot of cross country coaches are lucky to have 30 kids in their CC program. At York, more than 200 kids answer the bell when it rings for a fall season, Newton said.

“I combine Marine Corps discipline with tender loving care,” he says. “Every fall, I recruit athletes in gym classes where I teach. I make sure that all kids that have any talent or interest in distance running at least try out for the team.”

Today, Joe lives in Huntley and commutes the 45 miles to Elmhurst six days a week to run his program. Don’t be surprised in early November if you read the high school sports pages and find out that he’s added another state title to his legendary resume.

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