GACA Hall of Fame picks Parkview's Buchanan
12/14/2006
By Will Hammock
Sports Editor
will.hammock@gwinnettdailypost.com
Hugh Buchanan is no stranger to hall of fame inductions, having already been honored by the Georgia and Gwinnett Dugout Clubs for his long baseball coaching career.
But being selected to a hall of fame never gets old, and the longtime Parkview coach was thrilled when he got a recent phone call with that news. The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association, which made its 2007 Hall of Fame inductees public on Wednesday, had made Buchanan one of the six selections.
Buchanan said he has only discussed the award with his family and a few close friends, but he said the initial phone call "kind of took my breath away."
The coach will be inducted June 1-2 in Dalton, where the GACA Hall of Fame is
located.
"They're all special, believe me," Buchanan said of his three hall of fame honors. "This one is big because it's not just baseball and it's recognized by the Georgia High School Association. It's pretty neat. It's quite an honor and it's very humbling. You just look at the other folks who are in there. It's pretty humbling."
The GACA has inducted 34 coaches into the hall since it was founded in 2001, and the group includes Georgia coaching legends like Wright Bazemore, Wayman Creel, Billy Henderson, Nick Hyder and Dan Pitts.
In addition to Buchanan, the 2007 class includes Milt Miller (football), Arthur Mott (football), J.B. Beardon (basketball), Harry Ward (track and field) and Charlie Horne (baseball).
Kell baseball coach Donnie English nominated Buchanan earlier this year and a committee chose the 2007 class this month.
Buchanan was Parkview's first head baseball coach and held that position from 1976 until his retirement in 2004. He had a 546-245 record with three state titles (1996, 2001, 2002) and 12 region championships. His Parkview No. 20 jersey is retired and the school's baseball field is named in his honor.
More than 100 of his Parkview players played college baseball and two, Jeff Francoeur and Jeff Keppinger, have reached the major leagues.
Buchanan also was an assistant football coach on the Panthers' first staff and was Parkview's head football coach from 1983-85. He also was head softball coach from 1987-1994. He is well known in baseball circles after serving as Team Georgia director for 12 years. He also coached with USA Baseball for the Pan-American Games and the Youth World Championships.
Since his retirement, he has stayed involved with baseball, including a role as a part-time scout for the Philadelphia Phillies.
That duty keeps him busy during May and part of June, but not too busy to stop him from accepting a prestigious honor from the GACA.
"I'm very humbled and at the same time it makes you feel good (to make the Hall)," Buchanan said. "I was very pleased. It's always nice to be recognized by your peers, that's for sure. But a lot of folks had oars in the water on what I did.
"You think about all the players, coaches and parents who have helped you. Something like this causes you to reflect and see how fortunate you are."
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