Bob Lund
nhfootballreport.com

Paul Roy, who is perhaps best known for serving as Keene High School's varsity football coach for 21 years (1983-2004), will retire as a physical education teacher at KHS at the end of the current school year.

Roy may be the person with the closest connection to Keene football over the past 40 years. He was a freshman at KHS in 1967 and was a key contributor on the last Keene state championship football team in 1970, when the Blackbirds shared the Division I title with Manchester Central. As Keene's head coach, Roy guided the Blackbirds to two state championship games.

Roy was a standout three-sport athlete -- basketball, baseball and football -- at KHS, and played for several legendary Keene coaches: Mike Ginolfi (football), Dud Purbeck (basketball), and Bucky Main (baseball). After high school, Roy pitched for the University of Maine at Orono.

While at KHS, Roy coached a number of sports. He even guided Keene to a state title in gymnastics. "I feel very fortunate to have been able to come back to my hometown to teach and coach," Roy said. "I have to thank Charlie Burns (former KHS principal) for taking a chance on a 30-year-old when he named me football coach."

Roy also noted it was great to have the opportunity to coach his sons (Brad and Nate) and his nephew Mike Sweeney, who went on to be a two-sport athlete at Amherst College. Roy and his wife Janet will move to the coast of Southern Maine at the end of this month to start their retirement.