Former coach Alan Dugard, 87, retires from full-time teaching at Woodbridge High

Alan Dugard (center) was joined by coaches and administrators at Woodbridge during a retirement luncheon. (Photo Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone)

Alan Dugard summed up his professional career on Thursday during a retirement luncheon on campus.

“The Air Force was fun, coaching was fun and this campus was fun,” Dugard said after sharing many stories about his teaching and coaching career.

Dugard was Woodbridge’s softball coach for 24 years before retiring in 2014. He stepped down after leading Woodbridge softball teams to four CIF titles and 15 league crowns.

However, Dugard continued to teach world literature and English at the school.

This week, Woodbridge officials announced that the 87-year-old Dugard would retire on Tuesday.

“The teaching profession is getting more systemized and I think they’re taking a lot of the individuality out of being a teacher,” Dugard said in an interview. “We’re doing more with assessments and I’m quite frankly not as qualified as most of these younger people who can get on a computer and run. I’m slow. I didn’t want my classes to suffer because of what I’m not doing.”

Dugard, who has a softball tournament named after him, was a highly respected teacher and coach at Woodbridge. Athletic Director Rick Gibson, former baseball coach Tim Murray and softball coach Jerry Rose, who took over for Dugard, said he had made a big impact at the school.

“I took over for a legend and I am where I am because of you,” Rose said. “I followed your passion and I love what I’m doing.”

Dugard was a pilot with the Air Force from 1955 to 1980 retiring as a colonel.

But his professional career continued after that. First, he served as Woodbridge’s softball coach and then later added teaching duties to his job title.

“Greg Cops (former principal) is the one who started me teaching,” Dugard said. “He asked me if I had a teaching credential and I had gotten one from college when I graduated before I went into the Air Force.”

Dugard agreed to take on teaching responsibilities in 1993 and also served as athletic director for a while.

Dugard’s retirement comes almost three months after the death of his wife, Rosemary Dugard.

“That’s probably part of why I’m stepping away, I miss her a lot,” he said. “When I would get out of school, I could go and talk to her. I think her passing had a lot to do with my walking away.”

Dugard indicated he has fond memories of Woodbridge.

“I still think the world of this place, I’m very pleased to have had the experience of teaching here and I thank everybody involved to allow me to have this time here,” he said. “I’ve had nothing but support from all areas, athletically, administratively and from all the teachers.”

Dugard sounds like he will keep busy. He’s about to publish his third book and has plans for more.

His legacy will continue at Woodbridge and in May, Dugard will be one of the inductees into Woodbridge’s Hall of Fame, Gibson announced.

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com