Nagata players honored at jamboree

Joe Nagata was the head coach at Eunice High and St. Edmund for 22 seasons.
Friday night many of his former players will be recgonized at halftime of the third annual Joe Nagata Memorial jamboree held at Eunice High’s Bobcat Field.
A 1970 Eunice High graduate, Coleman Dupre was a running back and defensive back for Nagata’s Bobcats.
“I think of Coach Nagata almost every day,” Dupre said. “He and my father were two of the biggest influences in my life.
“Coach Nagata instilled in all of us a good work ethic. He also taught us about setting priorities.
“God, parents, country, school and then football,” Dupre said of the list. “He wanted us to put others first.and have respect for everyone.”
Dupre remembered teammates Ed Smith who he rejoined at Tulane and Steve Miller who played at McNeese.
“Coach Nagata loved hard-hitting players like Tom Andrus, Daryl Brown and Lionel Richard,” Dupre said.
“He loved his players and we loved him.”
Dupre said Nagata was not much of a cussing coach with his three words were “crap, damn, hell.”
Dupre said Nagata was a great motivator and could make them believe in themselves.
John Fruge was on Nagata’s first team at St. Edmund in 1974 and played offensive tackle and defensive end until 1977.
“I learned faith in God, hard work, respect for others, honesty and always give your best from Coach Joe,” Fruge said.
“He wanted us to play hard for the guy next to us,” Fruge said.
“He made sure all the team was encouraged including the non-starters.”
Kelly Stanford played fullback and linebacker for Nagata at St. Edmund from 1979 to 1982.
“He instilled hard work and dedication in us,” Stanford said. “He also taught us respect.”
Stanford said the coach beleived in his players even when they didn’t believe in themselves.
“I was small back then but he made me believe I was 6-2 and bullet-proof.”
Nagata was a no-excuse kind of coach, according to Stanford.
“I lean back on that a lot as an adult,” he said. “Nobody said it was going to be easy.”
Nagata began his coaching career in the 1950s under legendary Eunice coach Faize Mahfouz and Dale Sittig remembered Nagata’s influence as he played for the Bobcats before graduating in 1959.
Sittig was defensive end and offensive guard for the Bobcats.
“He was the most calm person out there,” Sittig said of Nagata. “He was a very low key person as an assistant coach.”
Sittig said Nagata coached running backs and special teams at EHS.
“He could punt the ball 40 to 50 yards up the field without any trouble.”
Sittig said football taught discipline and hard work.
“Any kid in sports has to be disciplined,” Sittig said. “Coaches and teachers both helped me a great deal growing up.”
Nagata died in 2001 and three years ago, the Eunice High - St. Edmund jamboree was begun in his memory.
“It is a wonderful thing,” Fruge said. “It maybe should have happened 10 years earlier but I think it is a great honor in his memory.”

Tom Dodge can be reached at tom.dodge@eunicetoday.com.