By Kyle Roberts
Results on the field are what is deemed to be important for any head coach of any sport.
But it’s the off-field shaping and molding of young men and women that is the true mark and value of a coach and what they bring to a school and program.
That was on full display Saturday night in the pressroom on the bottom floor of the Superdome following the win, as the final comments were reserved for Ruston head coach Jerrod Baugh, junior quarterback Josh Brantley and senior linebacker Jadon Mayfield.
When asked by the moderator for Brantley and Mayfield to address Baugh about what he has meant to them, it was hard not get emotional listening to their responses.
“I appreciate you, Coach,” Mayfield said first. “It’s been a long four years. I appreciate you for everything you did, on and off the field. You’ve made me a better person, and I’ll never, ever forget it. I just really appreciate you, and I love you.”
Brantley followed.
“Coach Baugh, you’re my dog,” Brantley said to laughs in the room. “I really appreciate the way you trust me with the offense. You’ve had an impact on my life. You’re always there for us, and if we need something, we can ask you. I really want to thank you and tell you how much I appreciate you.”
And, after winning his first state championship, Baugh seized the moment as he addressed his two players.
“For me, winning the state championship is up there,” Baugh said. “But I guess I’m getting old, because hearing kids relay that to me– the state championship, that’s nice. I’m proud, but that’s part of the legacy of Ruston for me. I’m kind of selfish in this respect in that I love these boys and I want what’s best for them down the road. I hope that I’ve been a small piece of what it is that has built what it is that they’re about whenever they graduate, move on and start families and get jobs. I hope that I’ve had a piece in their life.
“I appreciate their parents for trusting them with me. They are always easy and they always make decisions that I can back. But at the end of the day, I think they all do trust me enough to understand that I’m trying to do what’s best for them. And I appreciate them for allowing me to have an impact on their lives.”
