By Tony Leodora

The Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame has a new home … and the new site will allow more county residents to see this amazing tribute to the coaching fraternity.

The Grand Hall of the new Health & Sciences Building at Montgomery County Community College has been adorned with the plaques of all of the former inductees into the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame. That goes back to the first class in 2002, that included former Los Angeles Dodger manager Tom Lasorda, former Plymouth Whitemarsh High basketball coach Hank Stofko and former Old Dominion University field hockey coach Beth Anders.

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In addition, there is a special area dedicated to those given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in past years, as well as the volunteer coaches who have been singled out for entry into the Coaches Honor Roll.

The unveiling of the new site is all part of the buildup to this year’s 17^th annual induction banquet.

And, there has been quite a buildup.

In a year when the Philadelphia Eagles claimed their first Super Bowl title, there could be no better person to honor the coaches of Montgomery County than the Eagles most famous head coach, Dick Vermeil. He will be guest speaker when the banquet comes, for the first time, to Presidential Caterers, Germantown Pike and Route 202 in East Norriton, on Tuesday, November 20.

Vermeil has had an interesting life outside of coaching. He was a highly rated television analyst and also is the owner of Vermeil Wines in his hometown area of Calistoga, California.

“This is another highlight in the 17-year history of the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame,” said organization president Dale Hood. “To see that someone of Dick Vermeil’s stature holds the legacy of coaching leadership we have in Montgomery County in such his esteem is impressive. This will be a memorable night.”

The banquet, the annual highlight of the sports schedule in Montgomery County, once again will induct a new class to the most revered coaching ranks in a county with a sports-rich history.

The newest class of Hall of Fame inductees includes: Dick Beck, who has built North Penn High into a perennial state football powerhouse; Bob Lorence, who spent five years at Springfield (Montco) and 27 years at Plymouth Whitemarsh High as the head wrestling coach, winning 357 matches; Jim Romano, who has won 630 games as the Jenkintown High girls’ basketball coach, including his first PIAA Class A State Championship this year; and Richard Swanker, who posted a 176-9-1 dual meet record as track coach at North Penn High, including 16 undefeated seasons.

They will be joined by four community coaches, from four corners of Montgomery County, who will enter the Community Coaches Honor Roll. They are Elise Baker of Blue Bell, Ken Constable of North Wales, Ed Molnar of Harleysville and Mark Siefer of Springfield. In addition, longtime college football official Bruce Williams will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

All of the new inductees and honorees will be lauded during a special segment of the induction banquet and have their names enshrined in the new home of the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame at Montgomery County Community College.

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.

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