Apr 06, 2026
ASHEBORO — When an athlete leaves a program, his contributions are measured with one simple question: Is the program in a better place now than when he first arrived?
The same question can be asked about coaches, and when talking about Randolph County Post 45 head coach Ronnie Pugh, the program is in a far better place now than when he arrived 21 years ago. And that is a very difficult accomplishment because the program was in a very good position when he arrived in 2005.
Still, Pugh, who announced that he will not be returning for the 2026 American Legion season, has helped lift the program into a new stratosphere. Two state championships, multiple league titles, a slew of playoff series victories, three Regional championships, three trips to the American Legion World Series, 571 victories and knowing that he and his coaching staffs had a big hand in helping guide 140 players to continue their careers by playing college baseball…