Dave Moore back on track for Princeton

Princeton athletic director Jeff Ohlson didn’t have to turn far to find a new boys track coach.

In fact, he knew right were to look.

Dave Moore, who had a run of success as both the track and field and football coach at neighbor Bureau Valley, has taken over the reins of the Tigers' boys track program. He succeeds Dan Foes, who retired after 19 years.

“I always said I’d do track longer than I’d do football. I really missed it. It’s one of the first things when I went to Manlius and first started started teaching (in 1986),” Moore said.

“I asked my wife (Judy) and she said, ‘I don’t care.' She loves track as much as I do. It’s just something I wanted to do (again), and I never really had the chance to do it. There‘s something about going to Eastern (Illinois University for state) with those kids. We’ll see how it goes this year. I still have a lot of relationships with the football kids.”

“I always said I’d do track longer than I’d do football. I really missed it.”

—  Dave Moore

Ohlson, who succeeded Moore as head football coach at Bureau Valley, has worked closely with Moore at both schools and knew he was just what the Tigers needed.

“We are super excited to get someone of Coach Moore’s experience and expertise. I know he will do a great job,” he said.

Moore did junior high track for two years at Manlius and then teamed with Kenny Bourquin, his future father-in-law, and Don Wallace, when Manlius co-oped with Tampico. He said he learned a lot from those two.

He succeeded Bourquin as head track coach when he retired after the 1997 school year and coached through the 2008 season. The Storm won sectional titles in 2001 and 2005 for Moore with 26 state medalists, including two state champions: Mike Behrens in discus (2001) and Jason Bill in the 1600 (2002).

PHS junior sprinter Casey Etheridge for one said it’s great to have Moore taking over.

“I asked my dad (Scott) how much experience coach Moore has and he’s like, ‘He’s probably has way more than you’ve been alive,‘ ” he said about his father, who had Moore as coach when he was at Tampico. “It’s awesome having him and you can tell he’s an experienced (coach). And having an experience coach, you can put your trust in them and get you to the next level.”

Moore, who won a state football championship at Bureau Valley in 2005, took over as head football coach at Princeton from 2008-11. He still has a footprint in the Tigers' program helping out as an assistant.

He is the only person to be head track coach at both Princeton and Bureau Valley, as well as the only one to serve as head football coach at both schools.

Moore said he had about 40 kids turn out for the initial meeting in February. The Tigers ran their first indoor meet Tuesday in Sterling.

During Foes' 19-year tenure, the Tigers' track team won two sectionals, two Three Rivers Conference championships and had at least one state qualifier every year.

“He’s had some real good success, especially when he had Teegan (Davis), Payne (Miller), Bennett (Wlliams) and all those other guys,” Moore said. “The cupboard isn’t really bare right now. I’ve got Cade Odell and Ian Morris both coming back. Got a lot of young kids.”