Adding a unique honor to a long list of accomplishments, longtime Escalon High school varsity baseball coach Greg Largent was recently named one of the Sac-Joaquin Section Model Coach honorees for the 2018-19 school year.
He received the plaque and recognition at an April 30 ceremony in Lodi.
“I have been blessed to have great athletes along the way,” Largent said of being able to put winning seasons together for the bulk of his coaching career.
At Escalon, he has been coaching for more than two decades, including leading the varsity baseball program since 2005. His teams have won 10 Trans-Valley League titles during that span along with three Section titles.
He was the varsity softball coach from 1995-2005, where his teams won three league titles.
“I’m humbled by it,” Largent admitted of the recognition, attending the ceremony with wife Cindy and dad John Largent.
“I took a little bit from every coach I had,” he said of developing his style. “I thank Bob Loureiro for giving me the opportunity to be a coach, I took motivation from Lou (Mark Loureiro), Pete Arellano was always looking to put in the perfect play, Rusty Fachner had the passion, Steve French was always organized.”
He said those and more coaches that he has worked with – and played for – over the years have helped him grow in appreciation for sports and the students who play them.
Other honorees this year were Maureen Barnett (Rio Americano), Terry Logue (Bear River), Jill McPherson (Ripon), Marcy Tarr (Marysville) and Rick Wanlin (Rosemont).
Each member school in the Sac-Joaquin Section can nominate one male and one female coach from its staff. Those names then go to the leagues, and each league selects one male and one female coach, sending those names to the Section office for consideration.
Along with his teaching duties at El Portal Middle School and coaching at EHS, Largent is the director and co-founder of the Toni Largent Memorial Golf Tournament, which provides scholarships for Escalon High students. It is named in honor of his mother.
Largent is the third coach from Escalon High to be named a Model Coach; past recipients were Mark Loureiro in 2009-10 and Rusty Fachner in 2013-14.
