CLARKSVILLE — There are some things that happen during a career covering high school sports that are unforgettable. And many times, it has nothing to do with watching a ball go through a hoop or covering a big event like the Kentucky Derby.

No, it has to do with meeting people, and getting to know Southern Indiana high school coaches and athletes.  

It had to do with interviewing former Floyd Central football coach Ron Weigleb at his home just days before his death. Cancer had taken all of his physical strength, but not his spirit. He fought to the end, and provided me with not only lessons to live by, but one of the most memorable interviews of my career.

It also has to do with walking into the old Providence High School football locker room on a Wednesday afternoon, looking for head coach Gene Sartini. He would always be inside doing something — folding towels, looking at plays, or just sitting in his little office, enjoying the silence prior to the start of practice.

I was there to get a few quotes for a preview of the upcoming game. It was just he and I, and while we never discussed anything too deep, it was great. That little locker room screamed football and Sartini was the dean of area coaches. He was a local legend, and I always enjoyed our chats.

While that little locker room and that coach are no longer at Providence, the legend will return Oct. 12 to Murphy Stadium. That is the night the football field at Providence will officially be named after Sartini. The festivities begin prior to the 7:30 p.m. kickoff against arch-rival Clarksville.

Recent back surgery has slowed Sartini down a little, but nothing could keep him from attending the dedication of the field Oct. 12. That same determination and grit that guided the football program for 40 years and amassed a career record of 268-156, will lead him to Murphy Stadium that night.

“I’ll be there,” he said emphatically. “It’s a big honor. I’m right there with the Murphy boys [Gene “Spider” and Pete]. That makes me feel really good.”

Providence President Joan Hurley said naming the field after Sartini “has been in the works” for some time. While she didn’t want to give away all the secrets, she said there will be some kind of sign placed near the field identifying it as Gene Sartini Field.

“That’s always been in the back of our minds,” Hurley said of the honor. “After 40 years, we felt it was needed.”

Sartini, a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, began his career at Providence in 1971. In 40 seasons, he had only had eight losing campaigns. His last year at Providence, 2010, the Pioneers finished 6-4.

After 2010 Sartini said he wanted to come back to Providence for a 41st season, but wanted a three-year contract. However, school officials said they only gave one-year coaching contracts and in the end, the two decided to part ways.

While he may not have left with a smile on his face, Sartini said all of that is in the past, and he is thrilled Providence thought enough of him to name the field in his honor.

“I enjoyed all of my 40 years at Providence,” he said. “I guess you could say I am tickled pink ... when they said they wanted to name the field after me without hesitation I said yes.”

Hurley said she has heard nothing but positive comments about the field being named after Sartini.

“I think a lot of people know it’s well deserved. A number of alumni are pleased about it,” she said. “When I talked to him about it he was overcome with emotion.”

Hurley said Sartini, the Murphy brothers and many others who have made their mark coaching and teaching at the school, have been positive influences on thousands of students who have walked the Providence halls.

“They have contributed so much to the Providence community,” she said.

Sartini said he would still be interested in coaching. Last season he helped with the freshman squad at Louisville’s Fern Creek High School. However, he said he would never coach a team in Providence’s sectional. He cares too deeply about the place, from the little locker room that no longer exist to the thousands of young men who came through his program. He is and always will be a Pioneer.

“Forty years is a lot of time,” he said. “I guess you could say this is a big honor for me.”