Photo by Brian Hoffman
Jeff Highfill, who served as head coach at William Byrd High in the Blue Ridge District for 38 years, is back on the gridiron. Jeff is serving as a volunteer assistant coach for the brand new Roanoke College football team.
The Maroons opened practice last Friday on the field encircled by the C. Homer Bast track with over 60 hopefuls. The field got a new Bermuda grass surface over the summer and is green and lush for the first Roanoke College football practices since World War II.
Highfill retired from his head coaching position at Byrd after the 2018 season. Since then the field at Byrd has been named for him and he’s spent time playing golf and enjoying retirement, that is until new Roanoke College coach Bryan Stinespring gave him a call.
“Coach Stinespring called me the first day he officially had the job,” said Highfill. “I was honored. I told him my days of full-time coaching were over but I’d be glad to help.”
If 13-14 hours a day isn’t full-time, then Jeff is a part-time helper. He’s been at the college for 8:15 a.m. meetings and the earliest he’s been home since practice started was around 9 p.m.
“I’ve gone from zero to 100 miles an hour,” said Highfill. “We’ve had 12- to 14-hour days and I’m 72 years old, but it’s great to be around that family atmosphere again with the coaches and players.”
Jeff is coaching tight ends, kickers and punters. He’ll be in the press box on game days, and the Maroons will have five club games this fall before taking on a full Old Dominion Athletic Conference varsity schedule for the 2025 season. This year’s opener will be against the Hampden-Sydney College junior varsity team on Sunday, September 8, at Salem Stadium. The Maroons will also play jayvee teams from Shenandoah University and Bridgewater College, the George Mason club team and Fork Union Military Academy.
The Maroons have hit the ground running. Alumni Gym, where the basketball team played for many years before the Bast Center was built, is being converted into a football weight lifting facility. Locker rooms are a work in progress and new uniforms are ready to go, with white helmets and the RC bird logo on the sides.
“Everything seems to be top drawer,” said Highfill. “Coach Stinespring has a great resume and it’s an honor to work with him.”
Jeff knew Stinespring from his days coaching at Byrd. “Stiney” has a long resume that includes a stint as offensive coordinator and recruiter for Frank Beamer’s nationally ranked teams at Virginia Tech.
“He recruited our area for Tech and he always came by to see me,” said Highfill. “Many times I told him we didn’t have anyone he’d be interested in but he came by anyway, just to stay in touch.”
Stinespring has heavily recruited the Roanoke Valley for his first Roanoke College team, which is comprised entirely of freshmen and sophomores. The first roster lists 53 freshmen and 10 sophomores. Of the 63 players on the roster only eight list their home as outside of Virginia.
“It’s a great atmosphere and it will be interesting to see what happens that first Sunday,” said Highfill. “It seems to be a good group of guys with a great attitude, and everything has been done first class.”
