When Duey Ferber first took the job as head coach of the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls track and field team, he wasn’t sure how long it would last.

&uot;I really wasn’t thinking about it as a job I was striving for,&uot; Ferber said.

In that year, 1990, the team had about 20 girls. Today, it has 60.

Back then it hadn’t won much of anything. Today, they have won five straight conference and sub-section championships.

Because of this, and the dedication Ferber has to the program, the state girls track and field coaches association recognized him as the 2002 season coach of the year for class A.

&uot;This was something that was sort of a goal toward retirement,&uot; Ferber said. &uot;When I’ve seen the guys who have won the award before, they’ve coached 25 or 30 years.&uot;

Ferber was awarded with the title this past weekend at the Track and Field coaches clinic in Brooklyn Center.

The reward for coaching has been great for Ferber. A busy man, he’d thought about hanging up the whistle.

&uot;I have small children right now, but I’d often thought before of just taking a break for a while,&uot; he said. &uot;There’s no way I’d give it up now. It’s really snowballed into a great program.&uot;

But the greatest part of Ferber is working with the kids.

&uot;The kids make it a blast,&uot; he said.

&uot;The interest that the kids have in it is great. The nice thing is that they are coming out in seventh grade and looking forward to track. It’s not just a second option any more. They’re excited about track.&uot;

Ferber is excited, too. The 2003 season is just months away. He said he hopes for continued success; there is a streak to keep alive.

Winning the coach of the year doesn’t seem to mean that Ferber will rest on his laurels. In fact it doesn’t seem he thinks he deserves the laurels at all. Modesty prevails in his thoughts abou the award.

&uot;I’ve been getting a lot of the attention over this award, but I just have the greatest coaches to work with,&uot; Ferber said. &uot;I consider this a program award more so than a personal award.&uot;