At the end of Petersburg’s Homecoming games in February, friends and family waited on the sidelines to recognize the hard work of the high school seniors in basketball, cheer, and pep band. But there was also someone else whose hard work was being recognized that evening: Rick Brock, who received an award for his decades of service as a basketball coach.
Brock received a John R. Wooden Legacy Award from the National High School Basketball Coaches Association. The award is in honor of the late UCLA head basketball coach John Wooden, and recognizes outstanding coaches in each state.
The award “recognizes educators and coaches who achieve excellence on the court, in the classroom, and throughout their communities,” according to the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches.
Brock has been both an educator and a coach. He was a longtime math teacher who retired last year. He’s been coaching basketball for 38 years – 36 of which have been in Petersburg.
That’s long enough that Brock has coached generations of basketball players.
“He coached my dad, even!” said senior Noah Pawuk, who plays on the varsity team. “He’s been doing it for years, and he knows how to coach, and he knows what he’s doing.”
Noah was on the team when the varsity boys took a state championship title in 2024, and said Brock’s leadership played a big part.
“He coaches for success,” Noah said.
Petersburg School District Athletics Director Jaime Cabral said being a great coach also involves a lot of work off the basketball court. That means early mornings, late nights, and consistently showing up for Petersburg’s youth.
“Coaching is not just [during] your season,” Cabral said. “It’s helping the kids on the offseason, doing fundraising, supporting them at their other sports that they’re also in.”
On top of all the work he does coaching, Cabral said Brock has played a large role in guiding Petersburg’s teenage boys into becoming respectful, well-rounded young men.
“Everybody kind of associates Rick Brock and Petersburg basketball – even though he did graduate from Wrangell,” Cabral said. “He’s respected across the state, just a knowledge-piece of basketball.”
Brock said this award is a reflection of the community around him. He says he wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of his family, the school, and the teams.
“To be recognized for something like that, it really speaks to the quality of players that I’ve had,” he said, “and the support that the school has given to our program.”
He said it takes dedicated players, parents, assistant coaches, and community members to make a basketball program successful.
“I tell my kids, it’s not about me or you, it’s about us,” Brock said.
“And that’s really what this, to me, speaks to, is there’s a lot of different hands that are in this to make this basketball program successful.”
He said the team wouldn’t be successful without the hard work of the other winter activities during the basketball season.
“A very wise coach once told me, to have a good basketball program you have to have a quality pep band and quality cheerleaders,” he said.
Brock said he feels very blessed and humbled to receive the recognition.
