The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, the non-profit governing body of high school athletics in the Silver State, will be inducting nine Southern Nevadans this year to its annual Nevada high school Hall of Fame.
The individuals set to be inducted as the NIAA’s 25th class — Bill Casey, the late Pat Hayden, Charles Hurley, Jerry Huston, Todd Liebenstein, Raymond (Ray) Mathis, Florindo (Ferd) Mariani, William (Bill) McGee and Darwin Rost — have secured for themselves a special place in the history of Nevada high school athletics by the magnitude of their contributions to the youth of the Silver State.
“The nine individuals we are inducting have contributed greatly to high school athletics in Nevada as an administrator, athlete, coach, contributor and/or official,” said Bart Thompson, Executive Director of the NIAA. “They have made a positive impact on the young men and women of our state in some very important ways and have helped to make many of their dreams come true.”
ADMINISTRATORS/ DIRECTORS
• The late Pat Hayden (Western, Cheyenne, Centennial & Arbor View), who passed away in October of 2013, gave 34 years of his life serving as a teacher, coach, athletic administrator and principal in the Clark County School District.
He coached tennis, spirit and baseball (and was the Student Council Advisor) at Western (1977–90).
He served as an athletic administrator at Cheyenne (1993–99) and Centennial (1999–2005). He helped to opened Arbor View as its principal (2005–2011).
• Charles Hurley (Virgin Valley) was a mainstay in Mesquite as a teacher, coach, athletic director, league representative and tournament director for 30 years. He coached boys soccer, baseball, softball, and track and field for some time over the course of his career.
He assisted with multiple realignment processes while serving 21 years as an A.D. (1981-1994, 1996-2000, 2004-08). Mr. Hurley directed 23 state championship events for the NIAA and was instrumental in getting the Nevada State High School Record Book into publication as one of its original editors for football and basketball (all-time scores and historical records).
• Ray Mathis (Valley, Silverado, CCSD) did and saw a lot of everything over the course of a distinguished 37-year career in Southern Nevada. He served as an athletic administrator at Valley (1992–94) and Silverado (1994–2000) high schools, and the Executive Director of Instructional Support / Student Activities — the Director of Athletics (2006–16) for the district. Mr. Mathis was a four-term President and 15-year member of the NIAA’s Board of Control, and he was a founding member for the NIAA’s Citizenship Through Sports and state Alcohol, Drug & Tobacco Policy committees.
ATHLETE
• Todd Liebenstein (Valley) was a standout two-sport student-athlete garnering all-zone, all-state and all-American honors.
He was a four-year letter winner (1978–82) and three-year starter for the Vikings in football and basketball. He saw playing time as a freshman even though he attended K.O. Knudsen Junior High (which went through the ninth grade).
He was named the top defensive lineman in the country. Mr. Liebenstein eventually earned a full-ride scholarship and was a four-year starter in football for UNLV. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round in 1982, and made two Super Bowl appearances.
COACHES
• Bill Casey (Bishop Gorman), who is known for being the quarterback of UNLV’s first football team, is the first true varsity assistant coach in Southern Nevada to be selected for induction to the NIAA Hall of Fame.
He started as the Gaels’ head junior varsity coach in 1977. He was promoted to the varsity team’s Offensive Coordinator in 1979, helping to guide Bishop Gorman to three state championships in his first four seasons.
Casey served — after brief hiatuses due to job and family commitments — in a variety of other varsity assistant coaching roles in the mid-1980s and 90s for Bishop Gorman football.
• Darwin Rost (Las Vegas, Eldorado, Durango, Palo Verde) orchestrated some of Nevada’s best high school football teams during his 19 seasons (1996-2014) as the head coach at Palo Verde. He led the Panthers to one state championship, one state runner-up showing, five region titles, five region runner-up placings and seven league crowns.
Rost also served as Palo Verde’s Athletic Director for 19 years (1996–2015), overseeing six Award of Excellence titles, 23 Academic State Championships and 29 state athletic championships.
Rost, who was named the NIAA’s Model Coach of the Year in 2006-07, also coached at Las Vegas (1986–88), Eldorado (1988–93) and Durango (1993–96).
CONTRIBUTORS
• Jerry Huston (Chaparral, SNOA) captured five state championship trophies and two state runner-up awards in 13 seasons (1991–2003) as the head varsity boys volleyball coach at Chaparral.
He served as the Clark County School District’s volleyball coordinator for 18 years (1983–2000), the Athletic Director at Chaparral for 16 years (1987–2003), the A.D. at Canyon Springs for three years (2004–06) and the NIAA’s Southern Region State (boys and girls) volleyball tournament director for 23 years (1983–2006).
• Florindo (Ferd) Mariani (White Pine) spent his entire educational career in Ely. He started as a teacher at White Pine High School in 1958 and concluded his career as the Superintendent of the White Pine County School District in 1991.
Florindo, a past Nevada teacher and principal of the year, worked as the high school’s vice principal from 1964-79 and the principal from 1979-88. He also served as an assistant football and basketball coach, and the head track coach from 1958-64.
Florindo’s greatest contribution to the NIAA was helping to create the Nevada Association of Student Councils, which placed a premium on leadership education and became a course curriculum around the state.
OFFICIAL
• William (Bill) McGee (Southern Nevada Officials Association), who has been serving as the timer for UNLV men’s basketball games since 1992, began working high school football and basketball games in Nevada in 1977.
He was assigned annually to work zone/region contests in both sports through 2010. He was also assigned state basketball tournament events in odd-numbered years from 1979-87 and then annually from 1988-2010 (28 tournaments in all, more than 60 games).
McGee, a past President of the SNOA, garnered seven state championship finals’ game assignments in football and six in basketball, and he worked a total of more than 1,500 contests over the course of his career.
