By JED LOCKETT
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — After 30 years and 255 wins with the Giles Spartans, Steve Ragsdale talked on Saturday about his decision to hang up his whistle for good।“This is not like it was an overnight decision,” Ragsdale said of his resignation. “Although I had not really talked to anybody other than my immediate family, this is something that I’ve been kind of contemplating and pointing towards for about the last four or five years.“Nobody really knew about this and I hadn’t totally made my mind up until just within the last week. This was my 30th year. Coming into the season I had 244 wins. So I thought, ‘Well, if I can get 250 wins in 30 seasons, those are nice round numbers and this is probably a pretty good time to get out of it.”In his 30 seasons, Ragsdale was best known for his take on the single-wing offense. Under Ragsdale, the Spartans relied on deception and cunning as much as they relied on toughness and great blocking.Ragsdale’s offense was very entertaining to watch. It was also very successful. In Ragsdale’s 30 seasons, he coached the Spartans to state championships in 1980, 1993, and 2005 and state championship appearances in 1996 and 2006.In 30 seasons, he built a team that an entire community could rally around.“I think the major thing I’ll remember is just the fun and excitement that surrounded Spartan football,” Ragsdale said. “That’s something that we’ve promoted. That’s something as a coach that I’ve promoted with our team, first and foremost, is to have fun playing. “I had fun coaching. I think Friday nights were fun for our fans, our coaches, our players, our band, our cheerleaders, everybody involved with our football program. So the phrase I would attach to it would be fun and excitement.”Ragsdale did not rule out a support role with the Spartans in the future.“It’s possible,” Ragsdale said. “I don’t think in any major way at all. I guess it kind of depends on who gets the job and I’d certainly be willing to help them out in any way I could, reasonably. “If they want me, for example, to go scout someone on Friday night for ’em I’d be more than happy to do that. You know, stuff like that. But I certainly don’t want to anticipate being involved in any kind of major capacity at all.”Ragsdale does not know yet exactly what he will do to take the place of coaching. He does want to spend more time with family. Now he will have the opportunity to do that.“I really don’t know the answer to that,” Ragsdale said. “I just kind of let time and events take care of themselves. I’m only teaching half a day. I started that this year, teaching three periods a day. “I’ve got a daughter in the eighth grade who will be involved in her high school activities and I feel like I’ll have a little more time to go watch her do whatever she’s doing. “So I don’t really know what I’ll do to tell you the truth. I’ll just kind of let time evolve and see what happens.”
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