Coach Pete Shock

Pete Shock is one of seven 2014 inductees to New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.  He was a native of Cliff in Grant County and graduated from Cliff High School in 1968.  He was a three sport athlete, playing basketball, track and baseball and came from a coaching family.  At Cliff, he played for his father, Dale Shock, a noted basketball coach who won over 400 games as head coach at Cliff from 1935-1970.  Pete was named to the 1968 All-State Team in basketball and the South All-Star Team. 

After graduating from high school, Coach Shock earned a BA in 1972 and an MA in 1977 from Western New Mexico University.  While at WNMU, he lettered in basketball four years under head coach Dick Drangmeister and was named in 1972 to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-District and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Conference Team.

He began coaching at Silver High School in 1972, serving as an assistant coach to Marv Sanders for three years before becoming head coach for three.  He also served as Head Cross Country Coach during this six year period.  In 1978, he accepted the head coaching positions in basketball and track at Cliff High School where he would remain until his retirement in 2013.

During his remarkable 41 year career, his teams won 822 games, ranking him behind only Ralph Tasker (1,121) and Marv Sanders (832).  Under his leadership, the Cliff Cowboys won nine state championships in basketball.  In his last five years, they reached the final four a total of four times, going on to win the championship on two occasions.  His track teams also won many district and state titles.

Shock has been named Basketball Coach of the Year by New Mexico High School Coaches Association, Class A Coach of the year several times, received district coaching honors numerous times.  He was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Association Hall of Fame in 2011. 

At this writing, Coach Shock is retired and living in New Mexico.  Continuing the Shock family coaching legacy, his son Brian Shock now coaches the Cliff Cowboy basketball team.

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