Coach Willis Nance has made an outstanding contribution to Bladenboro High School, the Bladen County Schools system and to his community during his 30 years of teaching and 35 years of coaching, according to one local committee. Mr. Otis Evans appeared before the Bladen County Board of Education on Monday evening on behalf for the Naming of Bladenboro Gymnasium Committee.
“We are here to ask that you, the Board of Education, consider our proposal to change the name of the Bladenboro Middle School Gymnasium to the “Willis Nance, Jr. Gymnasium, in honor of Coach Willis Nance, Jr,” Evans said.
Coach Nance began teaching and coaching at Bladen Elementary in 1983 where he coached junior high football; junior high girls’ basketball; and junior high softball. According to Evans, Coach Nance coached East Bladen girls basketball for one year before being offered the position of boys’ basketball coach at Bladenboro High School.
Coach Nance led his teams to championships in basketball while assisting in other sports.
“During his 13 year tenure as BHS basketball coach, he gained the respect and admiration from parents and our community,” Evans stated.
The total win-loss report for Coach Nance as a varsity basketball coach is 318 wins, 106 losses. Locally, he received seven Coach of the Year Awards. In 1990 and and 1994 he won North Carolina High School Athletes Association Men’s Coach of the Year Awards.
There are seven conference championships under Coach Nance’s belt. During a ten year span, his teams were noted as one of the “Premier Basketball Powers”, ranking in the top 10 in NC. His teams State Championships record was two wins and one runner-up.
In regional play, his teams were 6-0; with his teams never losing at the Regional level.
In addition to his basketball and teaching duties, Coach Nance also coached track for three years at BHS and then coached golf for 13 years at West Bladen before retiring in 2013.
The committee listed other recognizable excellences Coach Nance has obtained. Evans listed Coach Nance’s following accolades.
He earned “All American Golfer” Award in 1976 at Pembroke State University in 1976; was inducted into UNCP “Hall of Fame” in 1983; served on Bladen County Advisory Board for 12 years, and is currently serving as Tournament Director for the West Bladen Christmas Tournament.
Evans explained, “As a teacher and a coach, Willis Nance, Jr. always adhered to the highest standards of teaching and coaching for his students and the faculty for Bladenboro High, as well as for East and West Bladen High.”
The committee members requesting that the gym naming are Randie Harrelson, Otis Evans, Nicole Kinlaw, and Jonathan Lewis.
Chairperson of the Board of Education, Roger Carroll, thanked Evans for the request and said the board would get back with the committee on a decision about the request.
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