The CIF San Diego Section annually gives lifetime passes for distinguished services to coaches, administrators and others who are retiring from their position. The recipients of this year’s lifetime passes included Carlton Hoggard, Steve Coover and Randy Wright.
The CIF San Diego Section annually gives lifetime passes for distinguished services to coaches, administrators and others who are retiring from their position. The recipients of this year’s lifetime passes included Carlton Hoggard, Steve Coover and Randy Wright.
The lifetime passes were presented at the annual CIF appreciation luncheon May 29 at SDCCU Stadium (San Diego County Credit Union acquired naming rights after the City of San Diego’s agreement with Qualcomm expired) which also recognized Valhalla’s Robert Wilson as the section’s Athletic Director of the Year.
Hoggard joined the CIF office 19 years ago and served under three different CIF commissioners. The 1977 Mount Miguel High School graduate previously coached track and field at Helix High School and El Cajon Valley High School for ten years.
“It’s been a great ride,” Hoggard said. “I enjoyed every minute of it.”
CIF commissioner Jerry Schniepp said it has been a pleasure having Hoggard on board.
“He’s been a good employee, a good friend,” said Schniepp. “He is a big-hearted caring person. He really enjoys interacting with people from all walks of life, he’s helped countless individuals.”
Schniepp became the CIF commissioner in 2011, and that year John Labeta became the assistant commissioner.
“Carlton was a valuable resource to me,” Labeta said. “Carlton has always had the best interests of the student-athletes at heart.”
Hoggard said he was honored, humbled and thrilled to be presented with the life pass.
Hoggard said he plans to remain active with high school athletics in a capacity yet to be determined.
“Sports has been a part of my life since I was a child,” he said. “I can’t get away from it.”
Coover was a football official for four decades.
“Coaches and officials can get along,” Coover said.
Coover’s full-time position was as a principal at Mount Miguel High school.
“He had a vision for Mount Miguel,” Schniepp said.
Wright has been Mount Carmel High School’s athletic director for the past ten years but was also a Christian High School basketball coach during his 29-year career.
“Randy places the highest values on the lifelong relationships he’s been able to build,” Schniepp said.
Wright coached the Christian boys basketball team to five CIF San Diego Section championships.
Wright later became the basketball coach at Santa Fe Christian, where he was also the athletic director, and won an additional four CIF championships at Santa Fe Christian.
“The CIF has been awesome,” Wright said.
Wilson has been at Valhalla for 16 years and has been the Norsemen’s athletic director for 12 years.
“He has immersed himself in that position,” said Labeta. “His leadership has been invaluable to the CIF office as well as the Grossmont district.”
Wilson called the recognition a team award.
“If you don’t have a team that you can work with it makes things very difficult,” he said.
