Believe it or not, five undefeated seasons, eight Northeastern Conference championships, and a coaching record of 180-45-1 are only a few of the accomplishments that track and cross country coach Fred Doyle has on his resume.
Now, the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association Hall-of-Fame is calling.
Doyle, who helped change the course of Swampscott High track and cross country in the 1980s, will enter the Hall-of-Fame at the MSTCA’s annual awards banquet on Sept. 22 at the Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center.
“It’s really gratifying to hear,” said Doyle, who was born in Lynn, attended Lynn English, and now lives in Beverly. “As much as it’s my award, it’s definitely shared with all of the good, hard-working people at Swampscott who performed so well through the years. It’s really something we all share.”
Doyle has held coaching positions across three states and seven schools, including Lynn English and, most recently, Bishop Fenwick since 2022.
“I helped Dom Civiello with the English team,” said Doyle, whose grandfather, Tom Whelan, was the football, basketball and baseball coach at Lynn English, as well as the school’s athletic director and principal. “The next year, I got the head cross country and indoor job at Swampscott (1976-82, 1985).”
Big Blue, big impact. At Swampscott High, Doyle created the girls’ cross country program.
“The first meeting I had with Swampscott, I had four boys and one girl. I remember telling the kids that I needed everybody to go home and bring two or three friends with them,” Doyle said. “The only girl who showed up was Patty Murnane, who ended up becoming what I referred to her as ‘The Mother of Long Distance Running’ at Swampscott High School. She really put the program on the map and ran a 4:47 mile her senior year.”
Doyle holds an NEC record (48 consecutive wins) and was inducted into Swampscott’s Hall-of-Fame, as was his 1980-81 indoor track team that captured the state championship.
“At the beginning of each year, you look at your lineup. The one thing for that particular team was that a lot of those kids came out as freshmen. Kind of like the wave that’s building off-shore, you could see the enthusiasm and excitement building with that team,” he said. “The guys really challenged one another, liked one another, and didn’t mind training hard… We would run in the school parking lot and up-and-down the hills.”
Doyle has coached nine all-scholastic student-athletes, is a four-time Daily Item Coach of the Year, a member of the Item’s 25th anniversary team, and holds three Division 4 relay/state titles.
The MSTCA’s Director of Special Events, Doyle touched upon receiving the Hall-of-Fame news.
“Most of the people didn’t remember what I had done during the early years at Swampscott, but Lou Tozzi did, who’s a member of the board. He was the one who told me to send a resume and qualifications” Doyle said. “And then, I forgot about it because I run a camp in the summer and have a lot of other stuff going on… He was the one who got to deliver me the news, which was nice.”
Doyle looks forward to seeing members of his Swampscott teams at the banquet.
“Now, they’re in their 50s and early 60s. It’s funny,” he said. “A lot of them have said they’re going to come to the induction and see me get honored. Although it is my personal award, I really share it with the team. If the team didn’t perform, there is no way I would’ve gotten recognized.”
Frank Barbuto (Dedham), Scott Cody (Cambridge Rindge & Latin), Michael Miller (Weymouth), and Jamahl Prince (Cambridge Rindge & Latin) were also inducted.
