Nashua’s past will be front and center on Sunday as the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame inducts the Class of 2025.

It’ll be at the Nashua Courtyard Marriott, but whereever you are, you may hear the cheers all over town.

That’s because two popular championship winning coaches, former Nashua football coach Bill Hardy and George Noucas will be walking up to the stage to receive their plaques.

Oh, retirement is a good thing, right?

Noucas is traveling the world these days and has family abroad. After Nashua he was an assistant at Daniel Webster and Rivier, and then at the prep school level. He says he bites his tongue when watching the grandkids play. Always the coach, it never leaves you. “I don’t say anything, I just get up, walk out the door, smile and go from there,” Noucas said.

Always a great quote. Hardy does his home construction work and is a constant presence on football sidelines and often a t a few basketball games.

But oh, those were the days in the 1990s when they were both coaching in their prime, weren’t they? Noucas won his second state title in 1991 as the Panthers beat Merrimack with a team that was the perfect example of the players buying in.

Hardy was anointed the new head coach in July of 1994, an assistant on former head man Bob Aylward’s staff,and when Aylward left to go back to Tewksbury (Mass.), Hardy took over and coached a talented group, losing a tight game on a field goal to Londonderry in the 1996 finals in LancerLand and then winning it all in 1997. A player who played for both of them, Aaron Gureckis, will also be inducted. Oh what a day.

“Billy and I got along great,” Noucas said the other day. “We talked a lot of football, we talked a lot of basketball.”

Oh the stories they can tell. Both title teams Noucas had were underdogs; his Chris Madigan-led 1986 team beat a heavily favored Bishop Guertin team led by the duo of Scott White and Mark Edmunds, while in 1991 they were up against a Matt Ripaldi led Merrimack team. All local finals that captured the attention of the area.

Noucas is a student of Nashua history, had seen the old days in person when he was younger. That’s what makes this a special moment.

“It’s an honor and a privilege,” Noucas said. “There’s a lot of great coaches in the Hall of fame, and a lot of great athletes … some of the best coaches the state has ever seen and atletes too. It’s an honor and a privilege to be in the same room.”

Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame Bill Hardy, cetner,and George Noucas acknowledge the fans along with Diane Keene, left, Friday night at Holman Stadium prior to the North-South baseball game. The induction ceremony is today. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The others being inducted are the guy who hired them, recently passed former Nashua High athletic director Al Harrington, former Nashua South administrative assistant Diane Keene, former North track athlete Shalyn Johnson, former South three sport athlete Caitlin Ackerman, former Nashua High three-sport standouts Gureckis,Sarah Neville Guadiano, and Jamie Franks, plus former Nashua High football and track athlete Matt Sheehan.

Besides Gureckis, Hardy coached two other Nashua Hall of Famers, Kole Ayi, who had a year with the Patriots, and Femi Ayi, inducted two years ago. Two of the best defensive players the school has ever seen and left poor opposing players on their backs with trainers coming out.

You can always tell a great coach when they have helped to mold other good coaches. Current and longtime South and former the unified Nashua coach Nate Mazerolle learned a ton playing for Noucas. Hardy turned out Jason Robie (North), Chad Zibolis (North, he played for Hardy), and of course, a guy named Scott Knight, his line coach and strength coach. All Knight did was succeed Hardy as the head man and coach Nashua/Nashua South for over 20 years. Not bad, huh? And to his credit, Hardy credited Aylward with rescuing Nashua football back in the early 1990s, and he kept the former coach’s offense when he took over in 1994. Of course he was welcomed by new grade requirements and was told 41 kids weren’t eligible and just nine seniors that first year.

“But what I was blessed with was back-to-back classes full of great athletes,” Hardy said.

But oh was he – and like Noucas, still is, – colorful. Our two favorite stories: Of course, the one when he doubled down with the comment after an upset of Pinkerton that “We hate them.” Oh brother. And then after an early warmup at Concord’s Memorial Field, a couple of hours before the game, hearing Hardy’s voice bellowing in the locker room under the stands because his team was going through the motions. Before the game, then Concord coach Bob Cameron said to him, “Hey, hey whats the matter?”

But Hardy remains colorful to this day. Even Astros coach Brian O’Reilly had to admit recently, “I love Bill Hardy.”

And Noucas used to refer to some of his film sessions after a not so great game, as “Fright Night”. Too funny.

(Graphic courtesy of Nashua Athletics)

Hardy, like Noucas, is humbled and honored by the induction.

“I’ve been to every one of them,” he said. “And you see the caliber of people who are already there … It tells me that hey, maybe on an impact on some kids. That’s all you can wish for as a coach.”

Oh he and Noucas both did. Hardy and Noucas, two old school coaches who have twinkles in their eyes and personality for sure. They were part of the show.

“We got away with it,” Noucas said with a chuckle.

See? Congratulations to both, and to all the inductees this weekend.

Tom King, who is a member of the Nashua Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, can be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or on twitter @Telegraph _TomK.