PH has their man

[Unchained]

Good hire


A two-time Super Bowl champion is the new head football coach at Patrick Henry High School.

Richlands native and former NFL offensive lineman Mike Compton was approved as Patrick Henry's new coach at the Washington County school board meeting on Monday night.

Compton replaces Tim Johnson, who resigned after six seasons at the Hogoheegee District school.

The 37-year-old Compton spent the two previous seasons as an assistant at Tazewell. He began thinking about becoming a head coach following last season.

"It just so happened the Patrick Henry job came available," Compton said. "I've been over there several times to watch my youngest daughter play in some basketball tournaments. I have a cousin that teaches over there as well. It's a nice area ... I just felt it was a good time to turn my application in and at worse get an interview and see how the process went. Luckily, I was able to get the job."

Compton's background is impressive.

After a standout career at Richlands High School, he became an All-American at West Virginia University. He parlayed that into a successful professional career that lasted from 1993-2004.

He spent time with the Detroit Lions, New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars. He won Super Bowl titles with the Patriots in 2002 and 2004. He was a starter on New England's Super Bowl XXXVI squad and was on the field for the game-winning field goal that beat the St. Louis Rams that year in the championship game.

After retiring, Compton turned his focus to coaching.

"Part of the reason I went into education in college was to be a coach and work with kids at the high school or college level," Compton said. "Coaches I had growing up, in college and the NFL, I wanted to take what I learned from all those philosophies and mold them into my own philosophy. Being on the field and competing as a player is one thing, but now I'm taking the step to compete and be in competition as a head coach."

He got his first coaching experience last year at Tazewell. He taught health and physical education there and will do the same at Patrick Henry.

"I owe a lot to [Tazewell principal] Keith Hovis, [Tazewell football coach] Bobby Wyatt and [Tazewell athletic director] Tom Keene," Compton said. "I learned a lot working and coaching under them both. They've been very valuable assets in helping me."

Meanwhile, PH went 4-6 this past season and the team has not qualified for the postseason since 2000. Compton will go about the process of turning the Rebels into a serious Region C contender.

"We are very excited to add Mike Compton to our staff," PH principal Keith Perrigan said. "He will bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and excitement to our program. Aside from Coach Compton's NCAA and NFL experience, he is a good role model and is dedicated to building a successful program at PHHS, from Midget League through Varsity.

"Our players have a desire to take our program to the next level, and I believe that Coach Compton is the right person to lead that process."

[Glory_Days]

how can you compete with super bowl rings. i wonder what kind of impact he will make?

[imported_Coach]

i think that will be up to the kids at PH.

[UTVols2]

I remember going to a camp of his in Norton when the great Buster Large was in town. He was a heckuva long snapper.

[sup-rbeast]

He was a heck of an O-Lineman in HS as well...I know first hand..lol

[Unchained]

If he's any kind of motivator at all (motivation is easy when you can show wide-eyed teenagers superbowl rings),PH with the numbers that they can put on the field will be playing for stste gold in 3-5 IMO.

[Widespread_Panic]

I don't know about state but PH does get Groves back at QB or RB next year and he's good for a couple of wins by himself. He could be the next D1 prospect for SWVA football.

[imported_Sportsman]

Isn't he still in Texas?

[royalflush]

Apparently he moved back.

[kmccall]

He is back and already in uniform at PH baseball