His career at Southwestern began later that year and for the next 45 years until his retirement in 2007, Priester amassed an impressive resume.He made a huge mark as a cross-country coach from 1965 to 2007. During that span, his boys' teams were Division 1 champs in 2000, 2001 and 2005 with that team finishing sixth in the state. His girls' teams were league champs from 1985-1987 and again in 1989. He also won sectional championships in 1973 and 2005 and was a county champion in 1996.
His overall record was 410-255, not counting invitational meets. He had 28 different runners compete in the state championships a total of 47 times with a number of runners going back multiple times. He coached two-time state champion, Brian Hull, in 1973-1974.
He was named the CCAA Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year as well as the All-Western New York Boys Coach of the Year in 2005.
Priester also coached track and field from 1966-1974 where his team won the county championship in 1973 and were sectional champs in 1968 and 1973.
He also coached tennis from 1963-1966 winning a pair of sectional championships, coached boys volleyball during that same time span and also guided the Southwestern bowling team from 1967-1969, winning the county championship in 1967.
Priester has also distinguished himself as an outstanding high school track and field official from1975 to the present day and has been a USA Track & Field official since 1985. He has officiated NCAA Division I, II, II track and field championship meets and also national and international meets, including two U.S. Olympic trials.
He also officiated at the World University Games in 1993, the World Veterans Games in 1995 and the 2011 World Masters.
As expected, Preister's list of awards is lengthy and includes multiple awards for teaching, coaching and officiating excellence. Two of the highlights were receiving the New York State Track Officials Dick Ferzinger Award for distinguished service in coaching track and field in 2007. He was given the Outstanding Service Award for the Niagara Association of USA Track & Field in 2009.
In 2012, he was nominated for the Andy Bakjanian Award for Outstanding Service to USATF officials and won the Outstanding Official Award by the National Officials committee this past October.
He was also the president of the Chautauqua County Athletic Association from 1991-1994 and was on the executive board from 1988-1994.
Away from coaching, Priester played softball at all levels for more than 40 years in Jamestown and North East and still plays basketball in the Busti-Lakewood Rec Over-30 League. He was also a classic league bowler during the 1960s in the Trend Broadcasting League.
Priester has also found time to serve his community as a Board of Directors member for the former Joint Neighborhood Project and the Southwestern Schools Education Foundation.
In 2021, Tom was inducted into the North East High School Hall of Fame and in 2022 the NYSPHSAA Section VI Hall of Fame.
Priester and his Susan have two children, Shannon and Dayne, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.