SNOHOMISH — The legendary football coach stands near the edge of Veterans Memorial Stadium, his left hand on the shoulder of one of his players, his other hand pointing out toward the field.
The bronze statue depicts former Snohomish High School football coach Dick Armstrong, a knock-‘em-down, run-‘em-over kind of coach who retired in 1994 with 272 career victories in 38 seasons, including 32 at Snohomish. Armstrong died in 1999 at the age of 69.
On Friday, a crowd of about 50 people gathered around the statue near the southeast corner of the football field to honor the old coach. The statue was first unveiled last month during a game against Marysville.
“This project is really a work of love,” said Rick Reed, 60, of Snohomish, who was a junior quarterback for the Panthers the year Armstrong started as head coach. “It was done by the sweat and hard work of people motivated by love for coach Armstrong.”
Armstrong led the Panthers to 243 victories, 16 league titles and a pair of state championships. He was the state’s Coach of the Year in 1978, and he was the winningest coach in Washington football history until Tumwater coach Sid Otton passed him two years ago.
Seattle artist Louise McDowell crafted the statue after getting to know Armstrong through stories and articles. She felt like she knew him well by the time she finished her work.
Armstrong was known for lifting his players’ spirits and giving them confidence. McDowell tried to convey those feelings through her statue, which shows Armstrong giving guidance to a player.
“One thing people said when they saw this finished is how that kid would do anything for that coach,” McDowell said. “That’s one of those memories I was trying to capture.”
Reed, the former quarterback, has a photograph of Armstrong and himself that bears a strong resemblance to the statue.
“That’s typically a quarterback, and he’s called the quarterback to the side to tell him what to do differently, what play to run,” Reed said. “I remember as an athlete, that was his pose when he was giving instructions.”
Denny Schuler, who went on to the University of Oregon and spent more than two decades coaching offenses and defenses in college football, was Snohomish High School’s senior running back during Armstrong’s first year as head coach. In all the time he spent recruiting high school players as a college coach, Schuler never found a football program that matched up with Armstrong’s teams in Snohomish, he said.
Armstrong was more than a coach; he was a like a father, said Schuler, 61.
“My dad died when I was in high school, and (Armstrong) was a father figure for me, and for many others as well,” Schuler said. “It’s great we can honor him and remember him this way.”
Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.
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