Quite a gathering assembled with Fred Priester the evening of April 28 in Charlottesville to watch the longtime Oakton High School girls basketball coach be inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
Priester, who has won 804 career games as a girls high-school head coach, was one of eight new inductees at the enshrinement dinner at the Omni Charlottesville Hotel. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Virginia High School League.
“I‘m more of a self validation person but it was very nice to be honored, it was a great ceremony and very nice to have so many people to be there with me,” Priester said.
Priester has been Oakton’s head coach since the 1994-95 campaign. Prior to that, he coached the McLean Highlanders for 10 seasons, where his teams won 130 games. He has won 674 at Oakton, and his Cougars’ teams have won multiple district and region championships, one state crown and have played in the state tourney regularly, with three runner-up finishes.
The Cougars won the 2012 state championship with a 31-0 record.
“I have had a lot of good players and a lot of good help over the years and there has been a lot of hard work done,” Priester said. "What changes over the years is the understanding of the responsibility you have, first to the kids, then to the game. The relationships I have made and nurtured and held onto sustain me, while the passion and energy keep me going. If it was only about the wins, it would never last."
Kathleen Rose, a longtime assistant coach for Priester said he enjoyed the moment of the Hall of Fame ceremony. She played against Priester’s team when she attended Fairfax High School.
“He had a big smile on his face and his eyes lit up,” Rose said. “It’s amazing how much he has done for the sport of girls basketball, and everything he has done to make the sport better and to grow. He has been a great role model for so many.”
The VHSL has Priester listed as the organization’s second in career wins (coaching only VHSL girls teams for all enrollment classifications) behind still-active coach Bill Gibson of West Springfield High.
Priester also previously has been an assistant baseball and football coach in high school, was a longtime summer American Legion baseball coach and continues to coach and be involved with AAU basketball.
"I remember every kid who ever played for me," Priester said. "They are in my Hall of Fame. I gained so much from them and tried to give them all I had. The memories are amazing."
Attending the Hall of Fame ceremony were many of Priester’s family members, including his wife Dorothy and four children. Also present were current assistant coaches Rose, Erin McGartland and Katie Warehime, former assistants Les Hughes, Gus Taylor, Krista Jay, current Westfield High head coach Noel Klippenstein, current Woodgrove High head girls coach Derek Fisher (a homer assistant under Priester), current Oakton director of student activities Pat Full and current athletic trainer Paul Rupp, former DSA Dave Morgan and former Oakton principal John Banbury.
One former and longtime assistant and loyal friend of Priester not present at the event was Chris Kestyn, who passed away in recent years. The two also coached Legion baseball together.
Priester has coached many players who went on to play in college. Two were former Duke University and WNBA guard Jasmine Thomas and current University of Virginia women’s head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. Both wrote nomination letters about Priester to the Virginia Hall of Fame, along with Full, Morgan and Rupp. Thomas and Morgan also are Hall of Fame members.
"You learn from great people, surround yourself with great assistants, have great kids, then mix in hard work, passion and energy," said Priester, who previously was inducted into the McLean High School Sports Hall of Fame.
