Although separated by a number of years in age, both Dennis Pugh and Arian Foster have connections to Mission Bay High.
Pugh, who had previously served as head baseball coach at Mission Bay High for more than 25 years, will be back on the baseball diamond this coming season to lead the Bucs. Pugh, who had served as head coach at Cal State San Marcos over the last decade, put a winner on the field during his time at Mission Bay. That said the program has struggled in terms of a winning record for nearly a decade in his absence.
Pugh, who tallied more than 600 wins as Mission Bay’s head coach, recorded eight sections titles during his initial stay with the Bucs.
Mission Bay, which will slug it out with other opponents in Division III this coming season, had been under the direction of head coach Chad Starkey recently.
Meantime, Mission Bay High product Foster, one of the more formidable NFL running backs over the last decade with Houston, announced recently that he was stepping aside from the game.
Foster, who played eight seasons in the league, has battled injuries for a significant part of his career.
The former Mission Bay Buccaneer played his first seven seasons with the Texans, finishing his career this season in Miami. Foster, who led the league in rushing in 2010, was a four-time Pro Bowler.
In an online essay announcing his retirement from the sport, Foster noted, “My father always said you’ll know when it’s time to walk away. It has never been more clear than right now. I’m walking away with peace.”
While one career apparently comes to a close for good on the gridiron, another one is getting a rebirth on the baseball field.
Editor’s note: If you know of a MBHS grad making news in the sports world, please send an email to: [email protected].