Community Backs Thrash - Southern Torch

With Coach Neal Thrash being "relieved" of his coaching duties without explanation, the community has defended the future Hall of Fame coach with a vengeance.

Southern Torch spoke with Superintendent Hugh Taylor on Monday morning. Mr. Taylor said he will address questions later in the week after he's met with Coach Thrash.

In the last 36 hours, social media has lit up with support for Coach Thrash.

He was a big influence on my life...that is why I went to college and wanted to become a coach. He gave me my first opportunity to be an assistant under him when I came back from college. A great X and O coach, but a better person overall...I know he impacted so many young men's lives in Collinsville.
- Delvin George

I was watching Fyffe this season and my 14 year old was sitting with me. I told him I wish he could play for Coach Thrash. A coaches job is to help you grow up and get the most out of what God has given you. No one ever got more out of me than that man did. Love him.
- Josh Alexander

I am very upset that the man who coached for me 10 years, who I consider one of my biggest contributors in molding my personal character, has been relieved of coaching duties by our political, not public school system.
- Ryan Tramel

Has anyone even ASKED any kids that have played for Coach Thrash how they feel? Or is this just politically motivated? More importantly, where does our elected board member stand on this? It's my understanding if one board member feels an action is politically motivated, there's a problem. If we don't have a board member that will stand up for us, there are ways to remedy that. A very good man's name and reputation are on the line. Can we stand by in good conscience and let that happen??
- Shelley Brooks

(Coach Thrash) was one of the finest coaches and teachers Fyffe has ever had. I can remember being a young one and was always scared of him at first, but eventually, he became one of the teachers that inspired me the most and helped me through a lot of my childhood. It's a shame to see all these "Christian" people acting in these ways. So many bad things have happened to that school that I'm almost ashamed to say that's where I graduated. Things aren't the way they were when we were young, that's for sure.
- Bronson Cuzzort

When I first started teaching and coaching I worked with my brother-in-law Neal Thrash at Collinsville High School. I was absolutely clueless but I watched him. I probably learned more from him in one year than I have in the rest of my teaching career. He never offered advice unless I asked, and then not much, but I watched how he did things. He was tough and demanding but I never knew a kid that didn't love him, maybe not in the moment but in the long-term. He bought shoes for kids, he took kids back and forth to practice, he bought them food when they needed something, but most of all he never did it for show. If you didn't watch closely you never knew. Sometimes he is easily misunderstood because his motives are very different from a lot of coaches. It's not all about winning with Coach Thrash, he's looking down the road. I would be proud to say he coached my kids.
- Tony Morgan

What a joke! Best coach I ever had. He and Johnny Mac Edwards. I would have ran through walls for those two!
- Heath Osborn

Well I gotta say I never liked him as a person until one day when my daughter had went to sleep on the bus and he personally went and found her for me!!! Loved him ever since, seems like a tough cookie till he is scared about a child. He was shaking when he brought her to me he was afraid something had happened to her.
- Amanda Graham Adams