ERIC TWEIT

Steve Virgen

When Eric Tweit set out to become a coach, he didn’t want to merely

acquire the title. He also wanted to be a part of something bigger

than himself. When he went somewhere, he wanted to stay there.

That somewhere turned out to be Newport Harbor High.

Tweit, the boys athletic director for the Sailors, also coaches

the girls cross country team and the girls track and field squad. At

Newport Harbor, he has found his home.

“I didn’t want to be a vagabond,” Tweit said of his career plans.

“I wanted to be a part of something and establish something.”

Tweit, who grew up in Norwalk, found what he was looking for at

Newport Harbor. But he originally thought he would spend his life at

his alma mater, Excelsior High.

“I loved Excelsior High,” he said. “If things would have worked

out, I would have stayed there forever.”

Tweit was an assistant track coach at Excelsior in 1970. He also

coached lower-level basketball. In 1972, he took over the track and

field and cross country programs when former coach and one of Tweit’s

mentors, Gordie Fitzel, moved on to Edison. Fitzel later became track

and field coach at Orange Coast College.

Tweit had his dream job of coaching track and field and cross

country at Excelsior, but there was never an opening for a permanent

teaching job at his alma mater. He also wanted to be a teacher, but

only worked as a substitute at Excelsior.

Tweit’s work in basketball brought him some success and he landed

a job for one year at Norwalk High, where he coached junior varsity

basketball. His teams would play against Excelsior, which was coached

by Jeff Brinkley, who now heads the football team at Newport Harbor.

Tweit started to inch closer toward the Sailors when he was hired

at St. Paul High in the 1975-76 school year. That’s when he also had

a steady teaching job.

In the summer of 1979, Tweit met Jim Newkirk, a Newport Harbor

cross country coach, while at a running camp. Newkirk told Tweit of

an opening with the Sailors since Bob Hailey was retiring from his

post as head coach of the track and field program.

Later that year, Tweit was hired by Jules Gage at Newport Harbor.

For five years, Tweit was a substitute teacher, until he became an

English teacher in 1985.

Tweit, the latest honoree of the Daily Pilot Sports Hall of Fame,

will enter his 25th season as Harbor’s track and field coach this

spring. Throughout his career, Tweit has especially enjoyed coaching.

“If it ever came down to choosing [between being athletic director

or coaching], I would always coach,” Tweit said. “I love [working as

the athletic director]. It’s rewarding, but it’s not as hands-on as

coaching. There is nothing better. That’s what I look forward to

every day. Most of the time, I can’t wait to get out on the track.”

During his time with the Sailors, Tweit said he has experienced

many highlights and it was difficult for him to single out special

memories.

“There are so many memories that stick out,” Tweit said. “[I’ve

been] dealing with neat kids. The thing I enjoy the most are the

other coaches, and working with [athletics secretary] Judy [Ayers].

She is so great.

“The athletes, there have been so many of them, it boggles the

mind,” he continued. “We have been really blessed that we have a

great community that supports us. There are some bad things here. But

for every 10 good things there is one bad.”

Tweit thought his job would go wrong at one point in his career.

He used to be the athletic director of the boys and girls programs

but Fletcher Olson later took over as the girls AD.

“I have to admit I wasn’t happy when it first happened,” Tweit

said. “But it was the best thing that happened. Having two of us

essentially working the job has been great. We work real well

together.”

Tweit, 56, said he wants to continue to coach until he has to stop

teaching. The two, for him, will always go hand-in-hand.