Norman Grayden Lineburg, who served as head coach of the Radford High School football team for 37 years and won two state championships, died Thursday at the age of 89.
Lineburg led the Bobcats from 1970-2006, winning back-to-back state championships in 1971 and 1972. He compiled a head coaching record of 315-160-9, having also served at William Byrd, Fieldale-Collinsville in Henry County and as an assistant at Andrew Lewis in Salem, finishing third on the VHSL all-time wins list. Lineburg is one of only seven coaches to surpass 300 career wins.
Former Radford coaching legend Norman Lineburg, left, and former Radford quarterback Ken Alderman were among those honored when Radford鈥檚 1972 state championship football team was recognized at halftime of a 2022 game.
鈥淐oach didn鈥檛 just win games 鈥 he built character. He taught grit, enthusiasm, and the beauty of being on a team,鈥 the Lineburg family wrote in a statement. 鈥淗is passion came alive in raucous locker room celebrations after big wins that forever bonded generations of Bobcats. He loved his players, the young men and women he coached, the city of Radford, his network of coaching colleagues, and the sacred calling of public school coaching. He never stopped coaching, never stopped giving, and never stopped loving.鈥
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In track and field, he also coached Radford High to two outdoor state championships and one indoor state title.
Lineburg is described as a beloved coach and mentor within the Radford community and across Southwest Virginia, including to a young Frank Beamer, later the Virginia Tech Hokies legendary coach, in his first assistant coaching job out of college. Lineburg鈥檚 influence, defined by principals of perseverance, fortitude and devotion, spread across the region and beyond the football field. His family characterized him as an 鈥渁mbassador of kindness.鈥
Ron Lindon, left, and Frank Beamer, right, were assistants to coach Norman Lineburg, center, at Radford High School in 1970-71.
The Radford High School football field was named after Lineburg in 2004. A graduate of John Handley High in Winchester and Shepherd College in West Virginia, Lineburg was was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2006 and to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 1996.
鈥淲e are grateful for every friend, former player, fellow coach, rival, and neighbor who shared in his life,鈥 the family鈥檚 statement reads. 鈥淭hank you for loving him as we did 鈥 and for helping carry forward the spirit of a man who believed in second chances, the power of teammates, and staying in shape, no matter your age.鈥
Lineburg and his late wife, Joann, have four sons 鈥 Robert, who is the athletic director at Radford University; Wayne, an assistant football coach at Rice University; Mark, the football coach at Brookville High School in Campbell County; and Paul, the principal at Northside Middle School in 色多多 County.
Joann Lineburg was the sister of the late Bob Young, the father of Virginia Tech men鈥檚 basketball coach Mike Young.
The Youngs and Lineburgs lived just a few blocks from each other in Radford while Mike Young was growing up.
鈥淲ith my Uncle Norman, you walk into that home every week and there he鈥檇 sit in front of the old VHS tape and that thing (was) running back and forth, back and forth,鈥 Mike Young told The 色多多 in a 2019 interview. 鈥淲hile I probably should have thought that was boring as heck, it was something that was really neat to me.
鈥淭he film study, game preparation, practice preparation, I probably took more from my uncle than I did anybody in that regard. It is an all-consuming proposition. In some strange way, that always appealed to me.鈥
After graduating from Virginia Tech, former Hokies football coach Frank Beamer was on the football staff at Radford High School for the 1969 through 1971 seasons. Lineburg was his boss for two of those years.
鈥淚 was fortunate to have been around him and learn,鈥 Beamer said Thursday in a phone interview. 鈥淣orm really cared about the players. 鈥 It was very genuine. They knew it. It was very obvious. I think that went a long ways in making that program as successful as it was.
鈥淚 learned that you鈥檝e got to be real. 鈥 When you see how he treats the guys and then how hard they 鈥 play and want to please him, that was just the right way to do it.
鈥淲hat a great gift he was to the community, to the school, everyone he touched. They were just better for knowing him.鈥
Beamer said Lineburg was 鈥渧ery down to earth.鈥
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that I ever heard him scream at a kid,鈥 Beamer said.
For the 1969 season, Beamer worked under the late head coach Harold Absher. Absher moved into administration and was succeeded in 1970 by Lineburg, who had been the coach at Fieldale-Collinsville. It was the beginning of Lineburg鈥檚 37-year tenure with the Bobcats.
鈥淚 was better for having been at Radford High School and (having) been there with Harold Absher and Norm Lineburg,鈥 Beamer said. 鈥淚 was fortunate to be able to work under some great guys.鈥
Beamer actually interviewed for the Radford job that went to Lineburg in 1970.
鈥淚 was disappointed when I didn鈥檛 get it, but I can tell you I鈥檓 lucky I didn鈥檛 get it because I got to learn from Norm,鈥 Beamer said.
Radford won seven games in 1970. The following season, which was Beamer鈥檚 final year on the staff, a star-studded Bobcats team went unbeaten to capture the first of two straight Group AA state titles.
Ten players from that 1971 team wound up playing Division I football, including Mike Mauck (Tennessee), Kenny Alderman (Southern Mississippi), Ralph Fisher (Maryland) and Bill King (Virginia Tech).
鈥淲e had a lot of talent,鈥 Beamer said. 鈥淔or a school that size, we had some talented kids who came through there.鈥
Lineburg had only two assistants back then 鈥 the late Ron Lindon, who later became a successful coach at Handley High School in Winchester, and Beamer.
Beamer was in charge of Radford鈥檚 kicking game, defensive backs, quarterbacks and receivers.
鈥(Lineburg was) very knowledgeable himself, but he let you coach. I appreciated that fact,鈥 Beamer said.
Lineburg mentored numerous players in his 45 years as a high school head coach.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the time in their life where they鈥檙e developing who they鈥檙e going to be and what they鈥檙e going to be. Norm was always a great influence in that area,鈥 Beamer said.
Beamer said he remained 鈥渧ery, very close鈥 with Lineburg over the years.
When the Radford High School field was named after Lineburg in 2004, Beamer was on hand for the ceremony.
Lineburg鈥檚 wife, Joann, died last year. Beamer attended her funeral.
鈥淭wo really neat people,鈥 Beamer said of the couple.
In a 2006 interview with longtime 色多多 sports writer Robert Anderson, Lineburg summed up Joan鈥檚 role in his career: 鈥淓verything in my life has been because of sports. It鈥檚 been my life all the way through. I鈥檝e just had some great folks I鈥檝e worked with. I love the people at Radford, the people in the band, the chorus, the arts, all the teachers. My wife has been with me every step of the way. I couldn鈥檛 have done this without her.鈥
