Tom Hager

Since 1981, Tom has been married to Terri Boardman ('64). Congratulations on forty-four years of marriage! Together, they raised two sons and one daughter, all Sidney Alumni.

In high school, Tom was an exceptional athlete. He excelled in four sports: football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. He earned a total of ten varsity letters throughout his high school career. He lettered for three years in football, earning all-league honors for two of those years. He also lettered in basketball for two years, baseball for two years, and track for three years, all of which included all-league honors.

In high school, Tom's leadership extended beyond athletics; he was actively involved in both the Student Council and the Varsity Club, serving as class Vice-President. While playing football, Tom distinguished himself as a first-string all-league player, playing a vital role in the team's success, leading to Coach Zegler's first league championship. Tom was primarily known for being a prolific punter.

He attended Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, where he walked on to their football program, trying out and earning a position as both a punter and a defensive back. His impressive performance earned him a full scholarship, graduating in 1971.

After college, Tom played for the Oneonta Indians, a semi-professional football team in the Empire Football League, from 1972 to 1976. With the team, he earned honors as an outstanding defensive back and punter.

In 1975, Tom began his teaching and coaching career at Whitney Point. He taught at the fourth-grade level while also coaching their eighth-grade basketball team and assisting with the varsity baseball team.

From 1976 to 1978, he served as a graduate assistant at Rutgers University, where he coached offensive tight ends and punters. During his time at Rutgers, he published an article in Scholastic Coach Magazine titled "Down the Line, Punting for Consistency." In 1979, he took on the role of defensive coordinator at Dean Junior College in Franklin, Massachusetts.

In 1980, Tom returned to Sidney, where he taught driver's education and supervised in-school suspension until moving into teaching at the fifth-grade level, always while also coaching. He served as the Varsity Football coach from 1980 to 1990. During this time, Coach Hager organized and founded a Pee-Wee football league serving Sidney, Bainbridge, and Unadilla. Starting in 1986, he also took on the role of Varsity Baseball coach, a position he held until his retirement in 2005. During that time, Coach Hager led his 1995 Varsity Baseball team to a historic achievement as the first and only Sidney Baseball team to reach the New York State finals.

While Tom was an exceptional athlete, his true legacy lies in coaching. He devoted countless hours to coaching multiple sports at multiple levels. Over several decades, he has become an extraordinary coach and made a significant impact on the lives of many Sidney athletes.

Congratulations on your induction into the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame, not only as an exceptional athlete, but also as an accomplished coach.