Rotary Program: 9/15/04

Program Chairperson: Dan Stratton

Speaker: Jerry Mynatt, Football Coach, Pikeville College

Jerry Mynatt came to Pikeville College in Feb., 2003 as the second football coach in the history of the school. He graduated with a Education Degree from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., where he was a member of the 1989 NAIA national champions. Prior to that, Jerry played two seasons at East Tennessee State University, where he lettered as a wide-receiver. After graduation, he signed a draft contract with the Birmingham Fire of the World League of American Football and played the 1992 season with the Orlando Predators of the Arena I League. Jerry began coaching in 1991 as wide-receiver / defensive back coach at Seymour High School in Seymour, Tenn. After leaving his professional playing career, he became receivers coach and director of athletic performance at Charleston Southern University from 1993-95. From there he moved to Elon (N.C.) College for a season as safeties coach and then back to ETSU to coach wide receivers and served as the passing game coordinator until 2003 when he moved to Pikeville.

Jerry expressed his gratitude to the administration and trustees of Pikeville College for the opportunity to coach in a great atmosphere for football. He spoke highly of the cooperation and support he had received from the community and was very optimistic about the caliber of players that had been recruited for this year. The team is made up of players, not only from the local high schools in Eastern Kentucky, but also from California, Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and many other parts of the country, which is a testimony of the attraction to play for a school that has begun to experience some success in the past two years. But more importantly than the emphasis placed on the field, Coach Mynatt says, is also what happens in the classroom and the academic success that his players have experienced as well. One example he gave was of one student who was thought not academically able to attend college, but now has a 3.2 GPA in the spring semester. He also shared how proud he was of the players that are still with the school that started five years ago, when the football program began, that every one has graduated with a degree. Being in the NAIA is also an second chance opportunity for students to go to college and play football that might not have been able to play in the NCAA schools. Then there are others like Antwan Marshall, who could play for any school in the country, but chooses to play here in Pikeville. Another big plus, Jerry said, was the fan support that the team had enjoyed in the past two games. To look up in the stands and see the kind of crowd that was there has to be a boost to the players and that will make them work so much harder to want to win. This team, he says, has now learned to win games that in the past they probably would have lost, due to that little extra effort that a team must put forth, especially when the game is close. Coach Mynatt stressed that the team is still in the infant stage and having to face all the hardships that any beginning program has to deal with. They have won some games that most people expected them to lose and lost a few that some thought they should have won, but that is the nature of the game. He closed his remarks by thanking the community for all their support and asked that everyone continue to come out and support the team by filling the bleachers and rooting them on, especially at the home games. After a few questions from the audience, President Rakeesh thanked Coach Mynatt for coming to speak to us today. - JMC