Bryce Casto has worn many hats throughout his time in West Virginia high school sports.
He started off as a football coach at Ravenswood and is now stepping down as the athletic director at South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.
Casto morphed into a Swiss Army knife during his four-decade career as a coach, school administrator, teacher and athletic director.
His last day leading the Black Eagles’ athletic department was Friday.
“It’s the students,†Casto said on staying in his profession. “That sounds cliche, but you actually the touch the lives of the students. It’s been a wonderful journey. I said back in the day that you’re never really going to know how successful you are until you’re 30-plus years out. We’re there now. So many of the students that still keep in touch, keep in touch with you.â€
Casto will fondly remember his time wearing different hats at South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä.
“This is home,†Casto said. “In all of my professional experiences, this is where I’ve enjoyed it the most. That in no way diminishes places like West Virginia State, which is also my alma mater. This has always been home. It’s a special place. The people in the South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and Dunbar communities have always been very kind to me and my family.
“When I had the opportunity to come back here in 2018, it was an easy and quick decision, because it’s home.â€
Casto’s bubbly personality and work ethic have given Black Eagle coaches a sense of family, they said.
“Coach Casto has been a pleasure to work with in my five years at South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä,†SC boys basketball coach Josh Daniel said. “He is as good an athletic director as there is in the state. ... He has been a huge asset to South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä High School and will be missed. I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.â€
“He is more than an AD to me,†Black Eagles football coach Dustin Resler said. “He is a friend and mentor — someone you can go to for advice and info, because he has been there and done that.â€
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Casto is a graduate of Ripley High School in Jackson County.
He lettered in baseball, basketball and football for three years. He was all-conference in football and baseball his senior year.
That knowledge on the gridiron led to football coaching tenures at Nitro and South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä as the head coach and a brief stint as an assistant coach at West Virginia State University.
Casto’s best season came in 1994, when the Black Eagles finished 12-2 and won the Class AAA state championship over University, 27-7.
“What I remember most about that team is how the team accepted their role and functioned as a unit,†Casto said. “They were an impeccable and quintessential team. The talent was what was great about the team. They had a goal of winning a state championship and did everything that was necessary to achieve that goal.â€
Coaches and administrators working at the high school sports level must work through changes happening almost every year.
Casto has seen rebuilding of programs, the expansion to four WVSSAC classes and legislation allowing for free transfers from one school to another.
“The key is to keep learning and adapting,†Casto said. “I did a little exercise in my classroom and it was, ‘What wasn’t here when I started teaching?’ They always miss the whiteboard. We were chalkboard back in the day. Then, you have the computer, and that’s been something that was unthinkable. It’s the ability to adapt. I like to learn. I try to emulate what I want my students to do.â€
South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä will be different without Casto being around next school year.
However, Casto believes that the school is in great hands to pave the way for the future.
“This is a good place,†Casto said. “We have good people, teachers and coaches here. I love our student body. They have continued, to this day, to treat me like gold. The people is what our history indicates is going to be right there.â€
