BELLAIRE — Mike Sherwood is a legendary figure in Bellaire High athletic circles.

Now the former Big Reds’ football and basketball star and successful coach is returning to head up the athletic department after being named the school’s athletic director at Tuesday’s Bellaire Board of Education meeting.

It marks the second tour of duty for Sherwood in that capacity. He also served as Bellaire athletic director in the 1980s.

“Bellaire has always meant a lot to me. Hopepfully, I can do something good for the school,” Sherwood said. “Mr. (Darren) Jenkins and Mr. (Derrick) McAfee talked to me about the position. It was a good opportunity so I decided to do this.

“We (Bellaire) have hired a lot of good coaches recently. I hope to be able to help them as much as possible,” he added. “Years ago we were successful because all the coaches got along. I want to get to that point again.”

Sherwood graduated Bellaire High in 1967. He quarterbacked the 1966 Big Reds to a 9-1 season for coach Don Ault. It is still undoubtedly one of the best prep grid teams in Ohio Valley history.

Sherwood led the OVAC that season with 20 TD passes, completing 73 of 110 passes for a 66.4 percentage. He threw for more than 1,400 yards with only four interceptions.

He was just as impressive in basketball for coach Claire Cribbs.

The sweet-shooting 6-1 guard was a two-year starter for the Big Reds, eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau while earning All-Ohio honors. He averaged 25.3 points a game in leading the Big Reds to a 17-4 record as a senior.

As a junior, he averaged 25 points per game. Sherwood poured in a school-record 59 points against Guernsey Street rival St. John Central. He was also selected to play in the Ohio North-South Basketball Classic.

After his prep success at Bellaire, Sherwood accepted a football scholarship to WVU.

As a sophomore for the Mountaineers, he passed for some 2,000 yards while establishing a school record with 416 yards against rival Pitt, completing 27-of-37 passes. He finished the year ranked 11th in the nation, averaging 198 passing yards a game. The Mountaineers went 7-3 that fall.

Sherwood led the Mountaineers to a 25-7 record in his three years, including a 10-1 mark and a Peach Bowl win his senior season. Hestill ranks among WVU career leaders in total offense, passing yards, pass completions and attempts, TD passes, passing efficiency and completion percentage.

He was selected to play in the 1970 Blue-Gray Game and won the Ira E. Rodgers Award the same year. Sherwood was also selected All-East by UPI in 1970. A member of the All-Time WVU 1950-69 Era team, Sherwood was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

After graduation, he stayed on at WVU, serving as a graduate assistant for Bobby Bowden and Frank Cignetti. He matriculated to Bethany College to serve as offensive coordinator from 1974-78 under Ault while also being the Bison’s head track coach.

Sherwood returned to his prep alma mater, serving as the Big Reds’ head grid coach from 1980-84, registering a 26-12-2 record. He was named Eastern District Coach of the Year in 1982. He became the school’s athletic director in 1984 and later the high school principal.

“The first thing I need to do is find where everything is and catch up with scheduling. Molly (Feller) has been a big help,” Sherwood said. “We have a lot of good people here at Bellaire. “My job is to help and support the coaches, giving them the best chance to be successful.”

He is married to the former Pam Soland. They have two children: Kelly and Matt.