Waynesburg track renamed for ‘Butch’ Brunell
Thursday night, Howard “Butch” Brunell was probably looking down at the Waynesburg Central High School track and saying “What’s all the to-do about?,” said his wife, Janice Brunell.
“He was a very humble person,” she said of her late husband, who died in October. “And he never wanted to be the center of anything. And that’s just the way it was.”
In his 57 years as a head coach, assistant coach or volunteer with the Central Greene School District, Brunell would coach plenty of kids who became the center of attention at the podium.
Known as one of the top pole vault coaches in Pennsylvania, Brunell had athletes win six Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association championships between 1973 and 2023. Some of his high school stars even went on to All-American status at college programs.
He was sharing his expertise into 2025, when the 81-year-old helped pole vaulters Mason Schroyer and his grandson Jackson Brunell medal at the WPIAL Championships.
As much as Brunell would have protested, when you coach enough people to glory, people will find you deserving of recognition too.
At Thursday’s Coach Brunell Memorial Invitational, Janice Brunell and other family members were called to the center of the track for the announcement that the track where Butch Brunell had coached athletes for more than a half-century was being renamed in his honor.
The Central Greene School District Board of Education approved the renaming at its meeting Tuesday.
Superintendent Matthew Blair said the unanimous vote reflected Brunell’s legacy of 57 years of coaching track and 35 years as a teacher.
At any track meet, Brunell knew everybody, and everybody knew him, Blair said.
“It was one of the easiest decisions probably for the board to ever make,” he said. “It makes sense to name this after him, because when you think Waynesburg, you think of Butch Brunell as far as track goes.”
She said her family felt blessed by the outpouring of love from the community, from the coaches, the track boosters, and the school district.
“My husband spent many, many, many, many, many years and hours down here at this track, and to have him honored in this way is just remarkable,” she said.
His kindness didn’t stop at his own team. Janice Brunell recalled how, when an athlete from another school was struggling, he would go over and help them get on the right track (“No pun intended,” she said).
As the track meet resumed, Janice Brunell was called back to the center of the track, where she exchanged hugs and conversations with athletes and coaches who came up to pay their respects.
“This is such a legacy,” she said. “And people really loved him.”