Don’t tell John Myers that you have to be at a big school to be successful in football. Starting his 13th season at tiny Russellville High School, Myers will celebrate his 100th victory at the school the first time the Panthers win this season. Eleven of those victories came last season, when the Panthers reached the Class A state semifinals. Not too shabby.
Myers, though, isn’t one to take the credit for that success.
“We’re pretty fortunate,” he says. “We have a school administration that makes my job easy, we have a lot of support, we have a bunch of good kids, and we have a strong tradition. Put all of that together and it gives you an opportunity to be successful.”
If Myers feels right at home at the small school, maybe it’s because it’s all he knows. After playing quarterback at Hancock County and then at Campbellsville College, Myers served as an assistant coach first at Hancock County and then at Mayfield before landing the head coaching position at Monroe County. After four years at Monroe County, he took the job at Russellville.
Coaching, you could say, has been in Myers’ blood for a good while.
“When I was in high school, the coaches and teachers I had were the people I looked up to,” he says. “That gave me the desire to have that kind of impact on others.”
Now in his 23rd year in the coaching profession, Myers has certainly had an impact on a lot of youngsters, but he says it’s a two-way street.
“The relationships you develop with players and coaches you work with and against, those things have been so rewarding,” Myers says. “The friendships I have been able to build through this profession are very rewarding.”
With 35 or so players on his roster each season, Myers has the opportunity to get to know his players well. That, he says, is more fulfilling than the number of victories.
“Football is like the game of life,” he says. “You get knocked down, and you have to get back up again. You have to work hard to be successful. You can come up with so many different angles that relate football to life.”
In a sense, football is life for veteran coaches like Myers. Like a father watching a child grow up, Myers has seen the game evolve.
“I’m still kind of old school,” says Myers, whose Panthers boasted two 1,000-yard rushers and passed the ball only about five times per game last season. ”But the game has evolved, especially on the offensive side. It has changed a lot in 20 years.”
Myers, though, embraces the changes that he sees making the game safer for student-athletes.
“The changes in how we practice that were brought about by the concussion issue are positive changes,” he allows. “I like the structure (limiting the amount of days in full-contact) now. It’s better for the kids and the coaches. The health and welfare of these kids is the most important thing. When you look at how things were done 30 to 40 years ago, I think we’re now moving in the right direction.”
Myers says changes that limit practices because of heat are welcome as well.
“It’s really scary to think about how the heat can affect these kids,” he says. “We practice as late as possible to avoid those issues.”
Although he has been in the coaching game for nearly a quarter-century now, Myers still seems excited about kicking off another season.
“I have great players around me and great coaches,” he says. “I have no visions of getting out any time soon. We have a good group of players, and we’re coming off a good year. We need to stay healthy, but I’m excited about our potential this season.”
