Tim Thompson Part Two

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy

By Jesse F. McClure | Published 05/29/2008 | Sports | Unrated

Thompson steps toward youth ministry amid off-season football controversy Former high school football coach Tim Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. (Photos by Warren Roseborough) In the sanctuary of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple in North Memphis, Tim Thompson started to talk about doors last week. “As one door closes another one opens,” said Thompson, whose name for years has been associated with the words football and coach. The “old door” was his position as interim – on track to be fulltime – football coach at Ridgeway High School. The “new door” is the one that leads to youth ministry in North Memphis. Thompson believes he can connect with the youngsters in the neighborhoods surrounding Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and help in reducing drug use, gang membership and criminal activity. He is confident that he has the charisma and coaching skills to turn lives around.” Such work will be much more rewarding than coaching football, said Thompson at a press conference he called to shed light on a predicament that lead to the closing of door number one. Ridgeway Principal Jim Long decided not to let Thompson coach football this fall after an investigation revealed that students from other schools participated in spring football practices. Thompson said he has been “betrayed and misled” by the Ridgeway administration. According to Thompson, an administrator at Ridgeway High School approved letting students who were enrolling at the school in August participate in spring football practice. He said that four students who were not enrolled at Ridgeway practiced with the Roadrunners’ squad during spring practice. Thompson said that he was volunteering his time as coach until August when he expected to join the faculty as a fulltime teacher and coach. He said current Ridgeway staff members were also involved with the off-season football practices and determination of which students were eligible to participate in the spring drills. Thompson said “I don’t take the full blame” in reference to an ineligible players controversy that derailed his plans to take over as Ridgeway High School head football coach. “I don’t take the full blame,” he said. Calls to Ridgeway and Memphis City Schools officials had not been returned by press time on Wednesday. Thompson said the loss of the Ridgeway job was tied to his previous problems as head football coach at Melrose High School. In 2001, the Memphis City Schools suspended Thompson for three years for accepting $1,400 from a University of Kentucky assistant football coach. Thompson said Ridgeway administrators at first time told him that letting non-Ridgeway students practice was not a big problem. Principal Long told him “not to worry about it,” he said. Thompson won two state football championships while coaching at Melrose High School, with a number of players going on to the National Football League. Part of the Ridgeway problem was that so many young men wanted to play for him, he said. At his news conference, Thompson said he was unaware that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating him for financial irregularities while he was coaching at Fayette Ware High School. According to a local news report, a parent of one of Thompson’s football players accused the coach of charging players for athletic equipment and the district Attorney General’s office has confirmed the investigation. Thompson said he did nothing wrong in his three years at Fayette Ware High. Although he said he has not been banned from future coaching positions in the Memphis City Schools, Thompson said he is moving on. Rev. Libra Mitchell is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple and the sister of Thompson, one of the most successful high school football coaches in Memphis history. He won’t be alone. His sister, Rev. Libra Mitchell, is the senior pastor of the Cathedral of God Holy Word Temple – the base from which Thompson plans to extend his life into the North Memphis community.

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