George Hott
George Hott
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Hott spurned Washington to become the Yellow Jackets’ football and baseball coach in 1957, posts he excelled at for a quarter-century. The move was emblematic of Hott’s entire life — he cared about his community and alma mater above all else.
“It’s a really great honor, our field is named after him. He’s a true legend and a hero to our community,” Moorefield head baseball coach Wade Armentrout said. “He didn’t keep records, so he’s not sure how many wins he has, which is important to get inducted into a lot of these things. It says a lot that he was selected from the reputation and respect he’s built as a person and as a coach.”
Hott coached baseball at Moorefield for 25 years and football for 22. He was named Potomac Valley Conference twice, once in football (1971) and once in baseball (1972).
He led the Yellow Jackets to five state tournament appearances on the diamond, an impressive feat given there were no school classifications at the time.
But more than the numbers, Hott is known for his character and his ability to impact his players on a personal level. For every talented ballplayer he produced, he spawned 10 more outstanding people.
After retiring from coaching, Hott was elected sheriff of Hardy County, showing how much respect he commands from his community.
“Previous players respect him for what he did for them,” Armentrout said. “He’s so humble, so helpful — he’s done so much for this community that people don’t even know, and he probably wouldn’t even want them to know.
“He has so much wisdom that he’s willing to share, and he’s so comfortable to talk with.”
For his playing days, some say Hott is the greatest athlete to ever come out of Hardy County. He was a three-sport star at Moorefield, being named All-PVC three times in baseball and football — twice All-State as a halfback. He was also two-time All-conference in basketball.
The 6-foot-3 Hott then went to Morgantown, where he lettered in football at West Virginia University in 1949 before signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization to play baseball. After batting .339 and hitting safely 151 times with the Pirates’ minor league affiliate in Salisbury, North Carolina, in 1950, Hott completed 17 months of military service in Germany. Upon returning, he hit .308 with the Burlington-Graham Pirates as a first baseman, but he came back to the area in 1954 when he enrolled at Shepherd University to play football.
In 1955, Hott scored 14 touchdowns to anchor the Rams’ first undefeated season and earn All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference first team. He’s a member of the WVIAC All-time team.
After graduating in 1957, he went to California, where the Washington’s NFL’s team was holding its training camp, but he quickly got word he’d been offered a coaching and teaching job at Moorefield.
Hott returned to Hardy County following a three-week stint as an NFL player, and the rest is history.
Now, years removed from the last time he donned a Moorefield uniform, Hott still lives in town across from the park. On summer days, he can be seen on his front porch, watching the local little league games.
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