Nagata’s assistants to be honored at jamboree

The excitement around the inaugural Joe Nagata Memorial Jamboree was around the legacy of the coach himself.
This year, the celebration expands to recognize the assistant coaches who worked to alongside Coach Nagata at Eunice High and St. Edmund.
Nagata spent 1963 to 1973 at EHS with a 52-47-6 record with the Bobcats.
There were 16 coaches who coached at Eunice High during that period including: Curtis Joubert (1963-66), Leroy Taylor (1963-73), James Fontenot (1963-1968), David McDaniels (1963-64), Roland Smith (1963-64), David Greer (1964-69), Charlie Hayes (1967-69), Alfred Marks (1968-71), Harold Fusilier (1969-70), Freddie Alfred (1969-70), Elgy Sam (1970-72), Gerald Hardy (1970-72, 1973-74), Jimmy Lee Fusilier (1970-73), Leonard Matt (1971-74), Ronnie Miller (197-74) and Clarence Merricks (1972-74).
Nagata then moved on to St. Eds, where he remained until 1985, compiling an 83-43-1 record.
Coaches who worked with the Blue Jays included: Charles Andrus (1974-77), Winston Smith (1974), Craig Fuselier (1974,1976, 1978-82), Terry McDaniel (1975), Larry Miller (1976), Alfred Marks (1977-85), Floyd Aucoin (1978/1981), Tom Andrus (1978-79), Carl Pierrotti (1980), Randy Copper (1981), Harold Fusilier (1982-84), Connie Mac Fuselier (1983-84) and Keith Leleux (1985).
Nagata finished his career with a 135-90-7 record, including six district titles, four district runners-up, and led the Blue Jays to the Class 1-A runners-up in 1978 and 1979.
Nagata was the district Coach of the Year five times, St. Landry Parish Coach of the Year three times, LHSAA Class 1-A Coach of the Year in 1979, the LHSCA Coach of the year in 1981 and was Eunice’s Citizen of the Year in 1978.
In this year’s jamboree set for Thursday, Aug. 28, St. Edmund will take on Port Barre at 6 p.m. followed by Eunice High - DeRidder at 7:30 p.m.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Any photos of the former Eunice High and St. Edmund coaches who worked with Coach Nagata can be emailed to tom.dodge@eunicetoday.com.
Also any thoughts or memories of those coaches who coached during that era are also welcomed.