From: Marguerite Groff Tompkins (54)
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In recent ALUMNI Sandstorms there have been some discussion of Ray Juricich, a former Bomber coach. I just came across the March 8, 1999 issue of "Senority," a small magazine that is published with the TriCity Herald once each month. I found the main article interesting and thought you might enjoy an encapsulated version.

On the cover of this issue is a picture of Mr.Juricich standing in front of the Days Pay mural at the high school. The title of the Article is, "Life's a sport for former Richland coach." Following main title is, "Tri-Citian spent quarter-century in Bomber Sports." The article tells about the 1959 Bomber basketball team, which Juricich coached because Art Dawald had a heart attack and was unable to work. That had to be tough, since the previous year the Bombers had captured the state AA title. Also, the team that Juricich inherited was minus John Meyers and CW Brown. However the Bombers did win the 1959 Yakima Valey class AA District Championship. They went two and out at state, being eliminated by Lake Washington, which had played a perfect season. But the loss didn't diminish what they had accomplished that season. " 'We shouldn't even have gone to state,' said Juricich, now 85, while reflecting on his team of over achievers." Juricich was the JV coach for 25 years from the 1940s into the early 1970s; his teams completed a number of perfect seasons. He also coached golf and his Bomber golf teams captured a half-dozen or so Washington state high school prep golf championships. Juricich continues to excel at golf. He says that he shot his age when he was 72 at Meadow Springs, and then shot his age when he was 80, again at Meadow Springs. He and Marian, his wife of 55 years, still live in the same "B" house on Symons that they moved into in 1950.

The article goes on to tell about his childhood, as the son of a coal miner in Canton, Illinois; quitting school at 16 and going to work; returning to school in 1929 (year of Great Drepression); the hours spent at Chicago's Comiskey Park watching all the great ball players; and, attending college. He was drafted in 1941 (fought in the Battle of the Bulge). When the war ended he was in Mannheim, Germany where he coached the 84th Division's football team. Since the war had drafted many top collegiate athletes, he had an incredible pool of talent to choose from. He returned home and in June of '47 moved to the Tri-Cities. He first job was as teacher and assistant football and basketball coach in Kennewick. The following year he left to teach in Richland."... Juricich took over as junior varsity basketball coach. He would help turn young players into legendary Bomber teams of green and gold for the next 25 years, through 1972."

"He taught social studies and physical education and in 1948 he introduced a concept never before tried in the Tri-Cities -- Driver's Education -- which he had learned about in the Midwest."

The final comments in the article are:

"This quiet man, once dubbed the 'silent partner to Richland's success' may not be a household name in the Tri-Cities, but he is in the hearts of generations of Richland students and athletes."

" 'He loves to work with kids,' Marian once said, 'He doesn't care much for the limelight. Headlines are for someone else, not Ray.' "



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