STARKVILLE — Jeff Terrill has seen a little bit of it all in more than three decades as a high school and community college football coach.
Now Terrill is ready to explore another side of life.
After five seasons at Starkville Academy, Terrill looks to be closing his coaching career for good, as he is leaving the Volunteers for a position as area director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“Since the beginning of my coaching career at Rebul Academy in 1979, I have always believed it is important to play the game with passion and to play it the way God would like us to,” Terrill said.
Throughout out his coaching career, Terrill has been involved with his school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. The ability to devote his energies full-time to helping coaches and players interact through FCA combines his religious faith and his love for football.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” Terrill said. “I have always respected the FCA and felt like it was very instrumental in the lives of so many young people. There are so many new challenges ahead, and I had been looking at the opportunity to do some other things.”
Terrill came to Starkville Academy prior to the 2010 season. Before that, he had a 25-year run in the community college ranks, including a stint as coach at Itawamba Community College.
At Starkville Academy, Terrill inherited a program coming off a winless 2009 season.
In 2010, the Volunteers finished 3-7.
“The competitive spirit of the youngsters was broken,” Terrill said. “Winning is all about an attitude. You have to have a confidence and belief in what you are doing. We spent a great deal teaching the art of winning. It doesn’t matter the talent level that you have, if you don’t have a belief system.”
As the program began winning, the success multiplied.
In Terrill’s five seasons, the Volunteers made the playoffs three times and competed in the 2011 and 2014 Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II state championship games.
“The contribution coach Terrill has made to our school is immeasurable,” Starkville Academy Athletic Director Glenn Schmidt said, “(especially) what he has meant as a Christian leader and man of integrity in the school.”
This season, the Volunteers featured a 33-man roster with 17 seniors. Starkville Academy cruised to the district title with some other highlights along the way, including the program’s first win against Jackson Academy.
Only a 17-10 loss to Madison-Ridgeland Academy kept Starkville Academy from an undefeated regular season. After beating Lamar School in the semifinals of the playoffs, the season ended with a 37-12 loss to Oak Forest (La.) Academy in the state championship game.
“Coach Terrill made us better football players, but he also made us better men,” Starkville Academy senior Josh Crittenden said. “He coached so long he knew the game inside and out. He also did a great job of motivating. Even when things weren’t going well, he stayed with us and kept pushing us to get better.”
Terrill said Starkville Academy will always have a fond place in his heart. The school won’t be alone when it comes to those memories.
“It is all about the players,” Terrill said. “The relationship you make with the players is something you will always remember. To see a player come in and start at one point and finish at another point is very gratifying and rewarding. When I played, I know the impact those coaches had on me later in life.
“It is the same thing we tried to accomplish here. Each day, you worked hard to become a better player and a better person.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.