It would be difficult to pick which of the following best describes William Byrd head coach Jeff Highfill. Longevity. Versatility. Consistency. Take your pick and you’d be on the mark, regardless.
The dean of Roanoke-area football coaches, Highfill has been the head Terrier on the William Byrd sidelines for 35 years. And, despite that run for a guy who doesn’t remotely look his age, Highfill isn’t planning on emptying his locker anytime soon.
While he is approaching 200 career coaching wins on the football field, Highfill also has 437 wins as Byrd’s boys head soccer coach, a position he assumed when the team played its inaugural season in 1982. His Terrier soccer teams are well into double digits in district tournament championships, regional championships, as well as twice being state runners-up.
And, don’t think his coaching career that spanned three schools since 1974 is limited to grass fields. Highfill also has stints as a head tennis coach and varsity girls head basketball coach. Overall, Highfill has a combined 31 Coach of the Year honors in three sports at three different schools that have spanned 5 decades.
Highfill, who grew up in Roanoke County along with a family that consisted of three brothers and four sisters, got started in football in the Salem rec-league programs. He entered Andrew Lewis High School as an 8th grader in 1965, eventually becoming part of one of the most storied football programs in Virginia.
Andrew Lewis was in its heyday of high school football, having won the 1962 state championship before having to forfeit the title because of an ineligible player, then following through with a state championship win in 1964. The Andrew Lewis program was like a high school football monster under head coach Eddie Joyce.
“It was a completely different program than other schools,” Highfill recalled during a recent interview at his home. “When it came to Andrew Lewis football, virtually everyone in Salem was involved and everyone showed up. We’d have parades and people would line up along the streets. We even flew to a couple of games. Andrew Lewis was part of the Roanoke County school system, but if you went to Lewis, the saying was, ‘You were Salem born and Salem bred’.”
Highfill says playing for Joyce set the foundation for his coaching aspirations, and Joyce’s approach and preparation to any season was incomparable. “We had the summer football camp that was a nightmare,” Highfill noted with a grimace. “It went for two weeks in the middle of nowhere. But, it’s what set Andrew Lewis apart from other programs and made Andrew Lewis so good. It brought every player together. The players and coaches went at it 24/7 for two weeks.”
“It was fun and tough with Eddie. It was physical football in what I still call the golden age of high school football. Looking back, it was so great being part of that program.”
Highfill initially was a running back on offense and monster back on defense until Lewis went to a 2-platoon system whereupon he landed as a tight end on offense. He earned All-District and All-State honors while playing for the Wolverines.
But, it was off the field where Jeff won over his biggest prize while at Lewis. In the classic football player meets cheerleader fairy tale, Highfill met his future wife, Katie Humphries. The two have now been married 41 years, having a daughter, Owen, and son, Jeff, Jr., along the way.
“I was the one who asked HIM out,” Katie says with a huge smile.
“I was into football and didn’t know about this dating stuff,” Jeff noted with a laugh of their initial match. “Katie is the only girl I ever dated, and I mean EVER. That date was March 28, 1969 and I even wrote her every day for four years while I was in college. We were married in the summer of ’74.”
After graduating from Andrew Lewis in 1970, Highfill took his athletic talents to King College in Tennessee, with a very unusual twist of fate. “I could have played football at a Division-III program, but after Andrew Lewis I knew it wouldn’t be the same,” Highfill pointed out. “The Salem Sports Foundation had awarded me a scholarship under the condition I played a college sport. So, I joined the soccer program at King. I had never even seen a soccer game.”
As a defender on the King’s men soccer team, Jeff earned All-Conference honors and was a 2-year MVP before graduating in 1974 with a degree in business and economics. He is a member of the King College Sports Hall of Fame.
Upon graduating from King, Highfill solicited advice from Joyce and former Andrew Lewis principal Walter Hunt on pursuing a coaching career. Hunt helped Jeff land his first job at Franklin County High School, where he taught business and economics as well as becoming an assistant football coach and eventually the girls varsity basketball coach.
Highfill was at Franklin County for five years when he got his big break to enter the head football coaching ranks at Floyd County High School. “I was 27 years old and the move to Floyd County was a culture shock,” Highfill says. “Floyd was in the old New River District, and the administration told me we couldn’t practice in the rain because the uniforms might get dirty. But, we went from 0-10 my first year to 8-4 in the second.”
That turnaround got the attention of former William Byrd principal Bob Patterson, who was looking for a new Terrier head football coach. Patterson knew he had his man in Highfill.
“The move to Byrd was so emotional,” Highfill says. “Byrd had just gone through some tough years, so I went in having to fight little battles. We went 1-9 my first year and I asked myself, ‘how are you going to do this?’ I realized I was accountable and decided I was going to do it my way. It was rough, but I had the support of the administration. The second year I brought coaches like Wallace Thompson and Paul Bernard on my staff. They were key in turning things around.”
Highfill is quick to reflect on the changes in high school football over the years. “High school football is now a year-round proposition,” Highfill notes. “There’s conditioning and weight programs all year. When I started, you might see a guy lift 200 pounds, now it’s 375. Players are bigger, stronger, faster. You have to challenge kids and motivate them differently today.”
“The other thing is today’s society. We don’t have problems with discipline because I’ve been around so long. But, parents often try to be the coach. My policy is to be available to discuss things, but there will be no talking about playing time or strategy. Playing in high school has nothing to do with what your kid did in sandlot. We look at film and what every kid does in practice to plot strategy. You’ll hear fans hollering at the coach in most sports that don’t have a clue on what’s going on. I always say if you want to coach, fill out an application.”
“If you win the next 5,000 games, someone’s not going to like it. In high school, you coach the hand you’re dealt. I’ve learned to have patience and keep your perspective.”
Highfill also credits the support of the Byrd administration for his longevity. “I’ve been fortunate with support from the administration, my family and athletic directors like Jane Layman, Gary Walthall, Dave Blevins, Crystal Whorley and Jason Taylor. Principals Bob Patterson and Richard Turner have been great. I’ve also had so many great players along the way. The proudest things for our program are the positive impacts we have on these athletes and watching them become successful members of society. Also, for myself, my son playing for me and eventually being an assistant on my staff.”
Highfill has two assistant coaches, Kim Colls and George George, that have been with him 33 years. Another, Timmy Foutz, 26 years.
Today, Katie is still an integral part of the Byrd program, filming Byrd games, cooking dinner on Sunday for the coaching staff and always coming up with gifts for the players. “It’s been a family thing at Byrd for 35 years,” she says. “It’s like we’re still in high school with Jeff playing and I’m a cheerleader. I’d rather have him leaving the house each day with a clipboard and whistle around his neck, than carrying a briefcase and wearing a neck tie.”
“I work out, fortunately have stayed healthy and every year I get more experience,” Jeff says. “I’ve retired from teaching and don’t have to coach, but it’s still fun. They’ll come a time when I know it’s time to step down.”
Terrier athletics should hope that time is not anytime soon.
Bill Turner
