Sad news: Bill Bland, who coached Santa Rita High School to state track and field championships in 1979 and 1981, died here last week. He was 92.
Bland is probably the top local track coach of the modern era; since his Eagles won in '81, the only local high school coaches to win two track state championships was Amphi's Raul Nido, 1985 and 1987 and Salpointe's Mike Urbanski in 2022 and 2023.
Bland, a UA grad who grew up in Illinois, produced future college All-Americans such as distance runner Tom Ansberry of Arizona and sprinter/jumper Dannie Jackson of ASU, both members of the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame.
Bland was Santa Rita's coach from 1972-81. He fits nicely among previous Tucson Hall of Fame track coaches such as Doc Van Horne of Tucson High, Clay Hitchcock of Pueblo and Don Anderson of Tucson High. No memorial service is scheduled.
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