Liberty High star and NFL Hall of Fame Chuck Bednarik was known as the “60-minute man” for playing both sides of the ball.

For two years, Fred Harris was the “60-hour” man.

Harris, who is the current Liberty athletic director, served in the same capacity for Liberty and Freedom from 2011 to 2013.

During that time, there were plenty of weeks when Harris was on the job easily 60 hours or more. Those long nights and weekends seemed endless.

But Harris worked his way through it, and Freedom hired Nate Standard to take the role in 2013.

Education has been a staple in Harris’s life, as he is a former Williamsport High and Moravian College graduate who earned a Master’s degree at Wilkes and a principal’s certificate at Bloomsburg.

As he will begin his 25th year in the Bethlehem Area School District, Harris certainty has enjoyed the ride and has been appreciative of the support.

“We are very fortunate in Bethlehem to have such beautiful gymnasiums throughout our district and to have a venue such as BASD Stadium for our kids to compete,” beamed Harris. “We are a district that provides so many opportunities for kids to compete and grow both athletically and academically. The rivalry between both Freedom and Liberty is competitive, yet healthy.”

Harris sees the student population taking advantage of their situations.

“It is a testament to our kids and coaches who both value the competition but know its proper place in the larger picture of high school athletics,” added Harris. “Here at Liberty, we thrive on our diversity as we continue to grow our already competitive programs.”

His peers have recognized Harris’s presence.

“Fred is a fantastic public speaker- a natural,” beams Steve Bradley, Liberty’s golf coach and recently retired teacher. “As an AD, he does a great job - always gets what’s needed for his teams. If he can’t do it through natural channels, he finds another way to get what the athletes need.

“He has a great way with parents and students, which really helps when you are an athletic director. I have known Fred for nearly 30 years and consider him a great administrator and close friend.”

Over the years, Harris has created a cavalcade of memories. His fondest ones include sitting on the design and construction committee of the Freedom gymnasium from 2004-2006, being a part of bringing turf to BASD Stadium in 2005, and being involved in the third generation surface in BASD Stadium being installed this summer.

It has been a worthwhile journey on many fronts.

“Watching big moments in sports throughout my career have also been exciting,” gushed Harris. “There have been numerous district championships and league championships as well as kids just having success after struggle.

“The biggest rewards come from seeing our former athletes as adults and hearing from them that their experience in high school athletics was a huge factor in their overall success as a person. These conversations make it all worthwhile.”

Yet, there are the share of issues along the way. Dealing with finances and parents along with keeping coaches are among the most engaging ones.

“Our district has the tremendous challenge of managing these costs while continuing to provide athletic opportunities for our kids,” stressed Harris. “Increasingly, finding and retaining coaches is also a challenge ADs face. There are many reasons for this, and ADs consistently work hard to help mitigate these challenges.

“We are fortunate in Bethlehem to have a Board of Education that values the importance of extracurricular and cocurricular activities as a vital part of the educational experience. Because of these challenges, long-term coaches are becoming more and more rare. Year-round expectations, parental stress, pressure to be successful, and the overall time commitment are a tremendous challenge for coaches today.”

Harris believes athletes have stayed the course, but the culture surrounding them has taken one a new look.

“Athletes haven’t changed, but the world of athletics has for sure over the last decade,” emphasized Harris. “The Wild West of the NCAA and NIL has created an environment beyond high school that devalues loyalty and teamwork and increases the importance of self.

“This doesn’t bode well for coaches trying to build a team atmosphere and a program long term. It also has made it increasingly difficult for kids to get recruited straight out of HS. The landscape has changed for sure.”

Fortunately for Liberty, Harris continues to navigate and cultivate their landscape.