Eric Moore, the Center Grove football and boys track coach since the 1999-2000 school year, will no longer be in charge of the track program after this season.
Daily Journal file photo
The final meters of a race tend to be the most challenging.
Eric Moore, who for nearly a quarter of a century has poured his time, sweat and know-how into building Center Grove’s boys program into one of the state’s unquestioned blue-bloods, is experiencing his own version.
Citing recent health issues and a desire to pursue other interests this time of year, Moore has announced he’ll no longer coach track after the completion of this season.
Moore, who turns 62 in August, will remain the school’s head football coach.
“Obviously, there are health reasons, and trying to get a little healthier in the spring season,” said Moore, whose 2011 squad won the only state track championship, boys or girls, in school history. “We’ve accomplished about everything you could accomplish, obviously.
“It’s just time to get a new face, a new voice. I’m not leaving the area. If they need any help with something, I’ll be there. It’s just time for a change.”
What a run it’s been.
Moore, who took over the program prior to the 2000 track season, has enjoyed remarkable consistency on his stopwatch. Nine times in the past 13 years, the Trojans placed in the top seven in the final team standings at the state meet. Aside from the aforementioned 2011 title, there are a trio of third-place performances and a pair of fourth-place squads.
Five individuals (sprinter Nick Stoner, middle-distance specialist Austin Mudd, hurdlers Connor Stapleton and Justin Veteto and discus thrower Cameron Tidd) won a combined nine individual state championships for Moore on the track. The 4×400 relay teams from 2011 and 2016 also secured first-place medals.
Moore’s current team is ranked first in the state heading into the home stretch of the regular season, making yet another banner finish a distinct possibility if not a strong likelihood.
“When coach Moore came here as a football coach (1999), we were in a super conference (the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference), and people thought it would be very difficult to compete against the Carmels and Ben Davises,” said Brad Timmons, a Moore assistant in both sports 22 of the past 24 school years.
“He never bought into that. He said we can be just as good if we discipline ourselves.”
Gradually, that mindset spread to all of the school’s other sports. Not that Center Grove hadn’t enjoyed success previously, but after Moore’s arrival the success became more consistent and widespread.
“I firmly believe (Moore) was the rising tide that raised all ships,” Timmons said. “We just work hard … blue-collar mindset. Call it whatever you want.”
According to Stoner, Moore’s coaching philosophies go well beyond motivational speeches.
“I think he does a good job of just demanding from his athletes, and he wants them to do things the right way,” said Stoner, 30, who also played football at Center Grove before doing both sports at Indiana University. “Are you working hard with each rep? Are you working hard in class? Coach demands that from everyone.”
Since his arrival, Moore has encouraged his football players to be part of his track team, the obvious benefits being additional speed training and conditioning.
However, if there is a downside to his success in track, it’s that it has often been completely dwarfed by what his Trojan football squads have accomplished — five state championships, including the past three, and three runner-up finishes.
Every one of Center Grove’s 17 sectional championships in boys track have come under Moore. The same is true when it comes to the Trojans’ six regional titles.
Of course, presiding over two elite programs can make for a time crunch, and, yes, regrets.
“I never ever got to really thoroughly enjoy the end of a track season,” Moore said, “because the state meet is always on a Friday or Saturday, and then the following Monday I would go straight into football mode. That’s probably been my biggest disappointment.”
Sometime next month, a similar picture will be painted.
Good thing Moore will have the remainder of his springtimes to kick back and reflect on the last 24 so dear to him.
