Reggie Witherspoon, Jr. has officially been named the interim head football coach at Garfield High School. Witherspoon replaces Joey Thomas who recently resigned to take a coaching position with a small college in the Midwest.
A graduate of Rainier Beach High School, Witherspoon spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach at Garfield where he coached the running backs and was head coach of the freshman football team. Prior to coaching at Garfield, Witherspoon spent 10 years as a head youth football coach and two years as a running backs coach at Rainier Beach.
Witherspoon, who comes from a prominent Seattle family, is well respected in the community, and his appointment at Garfield is viewed by many as a big win for the school to continue the academic and athletic success of Garfield football.
“It is an honor, and a privilege to take on the leadership of being the head coach for a prestigious school like Garfield High School,” says Witherspoon. “I am extremely humbled and excited that I have been called to lead a group of student athletes that I am committed to help grow both on and off the field.”
According to Witherspoon, he started coaching youth football because he wanted to help groom players to be successful at the high school level. In his new position, Witherspoon hopes to help prepare his players for their next stages of life, regardless of whether or not those stages include football.
“I expect every player to understand the greatest accomplishment isn’t where you are now, but where you go next,” says Witherspoon. “I will see to it that every life I touch through coaching develops a work ethic that will prepare them for life, not just football.”
Witherspoon, who played running back at Eastern Washington University (EWU), inherits a talented team that has made three straight appearances in the state playoffs. But Witherspoon is quick to point out that talent alone won’t win games, and he expects his players to “trust the process” and to put in the hard work that is necessary to compete for league titles and state championships.
“I expect our program to grow to the level of its full potential,” said Witherspoon. “They [his players] will understand the importance of hard work, and the mental toughness that it takes to be successful on the field. We will be disciplined, resilient and we will stay together.”
Witherspoon hopes to instill in his players the same level of expectations to be great leaders that was instilled in him by his father, Pastor Reggie Witherspoon, Sr. of Mt. Cavalry Christian Center.
“My father has always taught me since I was a young boy to be a leader in everything I do,” says Witherspoon. “I want to help mold these young Kings to a level that their lives can impact many others, then I can look myself in the mirror and say ‘job well done.’”
“[At the end of the day] It’s not about the wins and losses of the game that define who we are, but much rather winning these young kings one by one to a place of success,“ concluded Witherspoon.
Witherspoon, who studied education at EWU, is married with three kids.
