“THERE’S NO SCHOOL LIKE OLD SCHOOL.” THAT’S THE PHILOSOPHY THAT KEPT THURMAN BELL (b. Apr 10, 1943) ON A WINNING PATH THROUGH 45 SEASONS AS HEAD COACH AT ROSEBURG HIGH SCHOOL.

HIS 332 CAREER VICTORIES ARE THE SECOND MOST OF ANY OREGON HIGH SCHOOL COACH BUT THEY ARE THE MOST AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CLASSIFICATION AND ALL CAME AT JUST ONE SCHOOL. THE BASIS FOR THIS SUCCESS? HARD WORK AND PRECISION. OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

THURMAN CAME TO THE STATE AS A TOMMY PROTHRO RECRUIT AT OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY. HE WAS A STARTER ON THE LAST BEAVER TEAM TO PLAY IN THE ROSE BOWL IN 1965.

FOLLOWING 5 YEARS OF EARLY TEACHING AND COACH STINTS AT LEBANON AND GRANTS PASS, BELL LANDED IN THE TIMBER-TOUGH TOWN OF ROSEBURG AND BEGAN A TRADITION OF DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. BELL’S TEAMS FUNCTIONED LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE, FROM PRACTICE TO PRE-GAME RITUALS. NO MATTER THE CALIBER OF TALENT, THEY WON AND WON A LOT IN THE VERY TOUGH SOUTHERN OREGON CONFERENCE.

THURMAN’S TEAMS REACHED THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES NINE TIMES, WINNING THE BIG BLUE TROPHY IN 1981, 1990, 1995 AND 1996. THE 1981 CHAMPS WERE A PERFECT 14-0, WINNING 7 GAMES BY SHUTOUT INCLUDING THE FINAL AGAINST LEBANON IN THE RAIN AT PORTLAND’S CIVIC STADIUM.

THE BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS OF ’95 AND ’96 WERE PERHAPS THE MOST DOMINATING TEAMS IN STATE HISTORY. THE POWERFUL LINEUP FEATURED FUTURE COLLEGIANS CHRIS GIBSON, MATT WALSH AND JAKE COOKUS. TWO OF COACH BELL’S STATE FINAL TEAMS ALSO TOOK PART IN TWO OF THE MOST UNIQUE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES IN OREGON HISTORY. THE UNSATISFYING 1990 TIE WITH TIGARD WAS CAUSE FOR THE OSAA TO ADD OVERTIME TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. EIGHT YEARS LATER, THE INDIANS LOST THE ONLY LARGE-SCHOOL OVERTIME FINAL EVER TO LEAGUE RIVAL ASHLAND.

BEYOND THE VICTORIES AND THE TROPHIES IS THE PERSONAL LEGACY. GENERATIONS OF PLAYERS HAVE FOND MEMORIES AND ENDLESS RESPECT. OVER 30 ROSEBURG HIGH ALUMS ARE IN THE COACHING RANKS. THE STORIES ARE ENDLESS FROM COACH BELL’S TOUGH, PRACTICES, HEAVY ON CONTACT TO THE LEGENDARY MOMENT THE COACH TACKLED A STUDENT OFF A MOTORCYCLE THAT WAS CUTTING UP THE FINLAY FIELD TURF THAT THURMAN HIMSELF HAD PREPARED FOR A GAME.

THURMAN BELL KNOWS IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO BUILD A PROGRAM. THE SIGN IN THE ROSEBURG LOCKER ROOM SAYS IT ALL. “IT TAKES US ALL TO MAKE THE ONE.” WELCOME THURMAN BELL TO THE OREGON SPORTS HALL OF FAME.