Longtime Apex coach honored as the state's best across all sports

Apex High cross country and track and field coach Roy Cooper was one of two winners of this year's N.C. High School Athletic Association Toby Webb coach of the year award.

Each year, the NCHSAA awards coach of the year honors to one male and one female who "have had an impact on the lives of student-athletes, and students in general, by encouraging them to succeed" and "other skills necessary for success in the students' later lives."

Amber Reddick, who coaches girls basketball and girls tennis at Freedom High in Morganton, was the female winner.

Cooper has coached at Apex for 33 years, starting in 1984 when he was the school's athletic director. He was also the school's first girls soccer coach and has been an assistant in girls basketball.

In cross country and track and field under Cooper, Apex has won 46 conference championships and has finished top-10 in the state 59 times. He has had a state qualifier in 94 consecutive seasons.

He has also been a regional or state meet director 30 times, and has directed the Apex Lion's Relays for the last 33 years.

Both coaches will be honored at the NCHSAA's annual meeting on May 3 with a plaque and both will each receive a $2,000 cash reward.

Previous award winners include former Enloe swimming coach Vickie Peoples (2009), retired Chapel Hill girls basketball and volleyball coach Sherry Norris (2012), Triton volleyball coach and athletic director Wendy Gaines (2014), Rocky Mount boys basketball coach and athletic director Michael Gainey (2014) and Jordan track and field/cross country coach John Gray.

This story was originally published April 23, 2018 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Longtime Apex coach honored as the state's best across all sports."