Fayetteville Christian cross country coach Tom Hess, retiring after 21 years, known for going the extra mile

He calls it a moment of weakness.

Tom Hess was put on the spot at his daughter’s Sweet 16 birthday party when she asked him to coach a cross country team at Fayetteville Christian.

“Normally, I would think on it and pray on it,” he says. “But it was a weak moment and I just said OK.

“I was 50 years old at the time. I hadn’t planned on coaching but here I am.”

Twenty-one years, 15 conference titles and a pair of state championships later, Hess is stepping down as the Warriors’ head coach, with one last shot at another NCISAA title coming Monday in Charlotte on the heels of four straight Sandhills Conference titles for the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams.

“What makes him so effective is his love for the kids,” Fayetteville Christian Head of School Tammi Peters says. 

“He’s more than a coach. He’s a role model, father-figure, speaking into their life — they come to him with their struggles.” And they share success.

Hess brought a world-class level of experience to the Warriors’ new cross country program in 2000 and then started up a track and field program in 2008.

He was ranked among the top marathon runners on the planet in 1973, when Army service brought Hess to Fort Bragg after a collegiate career at North Texas.

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As a walk-on for the NCAA Division I squad, he’d run his way to a scholarship and serve as a graduate assistant coach for the collegiate squad before joining the armed forces at the end of the Vietnam War and serving as chaplain.

He married Paula and they had three children who would enroll at Fayetteville Christian where their mother taught Bible classes. Just a year into his time as Warriors coach, Hess’ son Joshua led the team to the first of two straight state championships.

Through the years — Hess has served 15 as head coach while remaining involved with the program in other roles when he wasn’t coach — he’s guided the program by three tenets.  

“Our No. 1 goal is — through our actions, our character, our attitude — to bring glory to God,” Hess, an ordained minister, says.

Having fun and winning come next.

Athletes like Thomas Macagg, the Sandhills Runner of the Year who set a course record this season with a time of 16:53, value the lessons from Hess.

“As long as we’re putting forth the effort, that’s what I’m proud of,” Macagg, whose father will take over the cross country program next season, says. 

“The mentality is that we’re going to push ourselves. I’ve adopted that philosophy.”

Isabelle Thiene, who’s run six years for Hess since NCISAA schools allow student-athletes to compete on high school teams in 7th grade, is an example of that effort.

She’s shaved 12 minutes off her 5k time this season.

“He’s helped me come a long way,” she says of Coach Hess.

“Sometimes I want to give up, but you have to keep going and let go of those feelings. It’s amazing to see your growth and how far you’ve come.”

All-conference runner Katie Magsig says of Hess: “He’s put a lot of joy and happiness into the sport and just brought us all together as a family.

“This team really does feel like a family.”

That unity is what senior captain Samuel Miller loves most about running for the Warriors.

“I love the team, getting to know people better and bonding,” he says.

Hess understands the different reasons students have for joining the team.

“Kids are out here for all motives,” he says. “Some are very competitive. Thomas will run at college. Sam’s not going to, even though he’s capable, he’s just going to focus on academics. He may be the valedictorian.

“Some kids come out for the PE credit and that’s the only motive. Some just want to be part of a group.”

The runners appreciate Hess’ understanding of their different goals.

“It’s personalized. The way he works with Thomas is different than the way he works with me,” says Hayley Matthews, the Sandhills girls’ runner of the year who set school conference and course records with a time of 20:51 this year.

“He makes it interactive and you can tell he has a lot of experience,” she says. “He knows when to push you and when to not push you. He’s very understanding and it helps me relate to a coach who’s run before.”

The mentorship goes beyond the track. 

Hess has officiated weddings for several of his former runners. 

He gives counsel at the advice of parents when asked.

And he does it all while holding a full-time position with the Navigators Ministry, an outreach mission that targets the military.

While Hess is stepping away from his head coaching jobs, he intends to remain on the periphery of the program. 

“I’ve got grandkids, I’m still working full-time, my wife and I want to travel a little bit,” he says.

This year was especially demanding, administratively, with extra requirements to keep kids safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fayetteville Christian has had no cases so far.

The state meet has been spread out over four days and no spectators will be allowed.

Hess has been live-streaming this season’s invitationals on the Fayetteville Christian Facebook page, offering his own play-by-play.

Going further is a mentality Hess takes from his time as distance runner.

“Everybody likes winning and cross country is probably our winningest sport here,” Peters says. “He knows his stuff and he trains the kids.

“He goes the extra mile to help develop them.”

Sports editor Monica Holland can be reached at mholland@fayobserver.com.