By Colin Ehrman

Sports Editor

    Norman Trzaskoma, better known as “Coach Traz”—a longtime coach and mentor at both R.J. Reynolds High School and Mount Tabor High School—passed away on Friday, August 7th, 2026. During his forty-plus-year tenure at RJR, Trzaskoma became a legend, coaching seven NCHSAA state championships, including five consecutive men’s cross-country titles from 1974 through 1978. 

    During his life, Trzaskoma worked as a track and cross-country coach, math teacher, Sunday school teacher, and volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, dedicating fifty-five years to Winston-Salem youth. Thus, he leaves a legacy that will last a lifetime.

    Trzaskoma built a longstanding foundation of success at RJR, winning the North Carolina High School Cross Country Coach of the Year Award three times and receiving the NCHSAA Toby Webb Coach of the Year Award in 2009. But above material achievements, Trzaskoma set a precedent for not only what it means to be a coach, but a person as well. 

    “He’s a legend,” Jeff Triplett, RJR class of ‘77 alumnus and cross-country state champion, said. “He’s been such a mentor, a friend, a role model, and just a perfect example of what a person should be like. Trzaskoma embodies how a person should be as a teacher, a coach, a father, and a husband.” 

    “He’s done so much for the program,” Kenneth Brooks, RJR class of ‘05 alumnus and current RJR cross country head coach, said. “He took odd jobs in the summer, painting houses and doing other odd work to make extra money. Not just to supplement his teacher income, but to put into the program. One year, Traz spent an entire semester selling cantaloupes in the hallways at Reynolds and at track meets to raise the money to go to Penn Relays.”    

    Trzaskoma poured everything he had into coaching, pushing even his top runners to the next level. But his work didn’t end there. For sports like cross-country and track, funding for meets and equipment isn’t easy to come by; nonetheless, Trzaskoma always made sure his athletes had the chance to compete and give their all. 

    For Trzaskoma, coaching meant more than just championships. It was about helping young people believe in themselves and reach their full potential. Whether at RJR or Mount Tabor, securing scholarships and increasing student involvement in sports was always his most monumental contribution to the community. 

    “His actions have set such a precedent,” Brooks said. “My goal has always been that if anyone wants to run in college, how can we achieve that? Whether it’s going to a top school in the nation, a smaller school, or a running club, we want to make that happen. If you look at the kids he’s coached over the years, if they wanted to go to college, he found a way to get them to college.” 

     Trzaskoma’s legacy remains unmatched. To honor his lasting impact, the Forsyth County School System named its opening cross-country meet the Norman Trzaskoma Invitational in 2011. More recently, with the introduction of the new Norman Trzaskoma Endowed Scholarship for young student-athletes, young people across the county can continue to move forward with the dreams of Trzaskoma. His greatest accomplishments will not be found in the trophies he won, but in the countless young lives and communities he left better than he found. The RJR community will forever miss the legend, Coach Traz.