We have all heard the phrase that winning breeds winning. One place this rings true is in the coaching profession. Former players of legendary coaches become legendary themselves.
Coach Bill Ruple comes first to mind. Coach Charlie Brown was Ruple's assistant for many years then succeeded him in the 1960's. Brown became a legend himself; not only as a football coach, but he was also very successful as the head baseball coach at Neville.
Coach "Chick" Childress the legendary Ruston High School coach in Ruston, Louisiana coached with Ruple and Brown for many years at Neville High School before accepting the head job at Ruston. Coach Childress played for two other Louisiana legends, Coach "Hoss" Garrett, also of Ruston High School and Coach Devone Payne of Tallulah High School and ULM. All of these men are members of several Hall of Fames in Louisiana.
Coach "Buck" Stewart was also a former player of Coach Garrett's. Coach "Buck" made a name for himself as the long time freshman football coach and head track coach at Neville High School. Coach "Buck" turned down head coaching offers to remain at Neville for his entire coaching career. Coach Stewart died of cancer this year.
Coach Don Shows is another coach who has become a legend is also a former player of Coach Garrett's. Coach Shows has become one of the winningest coaches in Louisiana history. He built West Monroe High School of West Monroe, Louisiana into a perennial powerhouse. Coach Shows is still adding to the win column.
I know more about the next coach because he is my father. He became a coaching legend while coaching at Tallulah High School in Tallulah, Louisiana. At one time he had seventeen former players in the coaching business. Many of his players became coaches, principles, and superintendents. Some of his former players of note are Coach "Chick" Childress, Coach Charlie Brown, Coach George Luffey, and former superintendents Tommy Bankston, Frank Mobley, Tommy Leos, Martin Verhagen, and Boone Halbach.
These are only a few of Coach Payne's "boys". I use the term "boys" here because right before my father died in 1958 at the age of forty-four these were the last words that he spoke before dying. "OK, boys. Let's go." He could have been talking to his own four boys, or he could have been making one last command to his team. "OK, boys. Let's go."
Winning truly does breed winning. I would wager that Jerry Byrd would know the combined won-lost record of all the Louisiana legends.
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