George Quarles: Building Young Men

Friday night was Maryville High School's George Quarles 200th win as a head football coach.  Keep in mind that that writing about him is a great personal risk for me--he avoids the limelight like the plague and he could fire me tomorrow.  But I wrote about him once before and he didn't fire me so I'm going to take that risk once again.

After all, it isn't every day that somebody wins 200 high school football games.   In only 15 seasons as a head coach.  

Since becoming Head Coach in 1999, he has lost only 14 games.   Let's take away the three losses in his first year (1999) and the first four of 2000, when his team started the season 0-4 before reeling off 11 straight wins including his first state championship as a head coach.   That means that since the incredible run of championships really started, he is 190-7.  

Think about that.   In that stretch, 6 undefeated seasons.  Nine state championships, more than any coach in Tennessee high school history.  

I mean, goodness!  200 wins!   That's amazing.   He may have reached that landmark the fastest of any high school football coach in history. 

But let me tell you the best thing about him:  He builds character.  Sure, every coach everywhere talks about building character but Coach Quarles does it.   Every day.  

The next best thing about him (in my opinion) is that he builds work ethic.   Put those two together and he builds good young men.   The football thing just happens to go pretty well because of both of those things too.

I'm asked often what it is about Maryville that makes the football team so good year after year.  I don't know that I have any better answer than anybody else.   Dedication, buy-in, winning attitude, confidence, preparation, coaching...the list could be long. 

But it all starts with the humble man at the helm. 

Well today, I'm going to tell you the inside secret about George Quarles.  The one main thing that sets him apart from almost every coach that I've ever known.   Vision.   That's it.   He has it.

He can see everything.  Everything.   A lineman makes a wrong step? Coach Quarles has the best offensive line coach in the country in David Ellis and yet he still sees the field so completely, he can see that lineman and every other position on the field, including what the opponents are doing. 

It is uncanny, really.   That ability helps him to be...well...George Quarles.   And you and I can work and study and we can never have that "thing" that sets him apart. 

It has been my pleasure to walk the sideline with him for almost every one of those 200 wins and more hours together on the practice field than either of us would want to admit.   Thank you, Coach Quarles, for the opportunity.  And congratulations