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Huffman at home with West Greene football

3 min read

Coaching goes beyond the football field for Rodney Huffman.

Helping teenagers learn the skills necessary to excel after their playing days is a priority, but don’t be mistaken, Huffman loves to win.

Bringing success back to the school that helped him mature will make the accomplishment that much sweeter.

Huffman, 62, was hired as head varsity football coach at West Greene High School Thursday night.

A 1970 graduate of West Greene, Huffman replaces Paul Kreuzer, who went 2-16 during his two-year tenure. The Pioneers struggled with participation in 2014 as the roster shrank to 12 players late in the season.

Huffman, who served as a volunteer assistant last fall, hopes to change that.

“That’s one thing we are definitely hoping to improve on is to get the kids involved again and invested in the program,” Huffman said. “We’ve got a good core group that is ready to get in the weight room. It has always been on my bucket list to come back and be a part of this program. It’s a win-win. This is a great opportunity.”

It has been a long road back to Rogersville for Huffman. After working in the coal mines for nine years, he decided to move south in 1981. He spent the next 32 years working in building maintenance and industrial painting until he moved back to the area in 2013.

During his time away, Huffman was an assistant coach at Curtis Baptist School in Augusta, Ga., and Fox Creek High School in North Augusta, S.C. He helped build a junior varsity program and wore “many hats” as an assistant at Curtis, which struggled with a roster of 20 to 25 players.

West Greene athletic director Billy Simms saw Huffman as a perfect fit to resurrect a program that has not reached the WPIAL playoffs since 1993.

“He’s extremely passionate about being the head coach here,” Simms said. “He wants to get us in a better direction than we have been, which is at the bottom of our conference. He wants to have a hand in changing that.”

Huffman played football at West Greene and, though he classified himself as not the most talented player, the sport and the prospect of coaching became a passion from the time he put on shoulder pads.

“There are a lot of broken homes and kids who come from different situations,” Huffman said. “It’s not just about my love for football. I want to help bring men along and see them come through it all. It’s about being a mentor. I’m elated and overjoyed.”

It has been a long time coming.

In 1981, Huffman applied to be West Greene’s junior high school football coach. Time passed before he pursued a job in Lynchburg, Va., but on his way south, his brother, Barry, contacted him with news that he was hired.

It was too late. Huffman was close to Virginia when he received the news. Since that day, returning to West Greene has been the goal.

Some dreams do come true.

“It may be too early to tell what’s ahead,” Huffman said. “Everyone has pie in the sky dreams, but to get the program to a competitive level within our district is the goal. I’m not sure how many wins will come, but when you start affecting kids’ lives as a coach, it turns into wins.”

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