Former Cathedral School coach and athletic director Roy Garcia has racked up a long list of accolades over the years, and though he’s now been retired since 2008 the honors haven’t stopped coming.

Garcia’s forty years with the Green Wave earned him a selection to the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

“I feel like one of the luckiest guys in the world,” Garcia said. “It’s amazing.”

Garcia will be inducted as one of 30 coaches from around the country June 20 at a ceremony in East Peoria, Ill. The recognition gives credit to each coach’s contributions to their schools and commitment to student-athletes, among other achievements.

During his time with Cathedral beginning in 1968, Garcia coached multiple sports including football, baseball, track, tennis and golf. He took over as athletic director in 1972, giving him the chance to spread the love for his school.

“It was just like family, and the kids were great,” Garcia said. “Being at a small school you saw all the sports. I never had a dull moment. There was no such thing as a routine. It didn’t feel like work, because I knew what I wanted to do.”

Among his accomplishments, Garcia led or oversaw the Cathedral tennis team to seven state championships, three in baseball and seven in golf.

Garcia was named athletic director of the year in 1997 by the Mississippi Association of Coaches, and then inducted into the MAC Hall of Fame in 2003.

High on his list of memories, however, was when Cathedral’s gymnasium was named after Garcia in 2002.

“I sat up on the stage (in the gym) during basketball games and made sure everything was good. They surprised me with my family, and I went out to the court,” Garcia said. “They presented me and made a speech. People gave me a standing ovation. That was a moving thing. It was one of the highlights in my life.”

Nowadays, Garcia lives in McKinney, Texas with his wife, Sara, close to other immediate family.

“I don’t visit (Natchez) often enough, but I try to go once or twice a year,” he said. “I always go by the school and see everybody and try to make a few games. The teachers, administration and parents (at Cathedral) were terrific. They knew I was going to treat the kids like they needed to be treated.”