KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Longtime Webb School of Knoxville football head coach and athletic director David Meske will retire at the end of the 2022 season. It's a job he didn't expect to have for 38 years.
"I never thought that this would be my dream job at 24 [years old], but it is my dream job," Meske said.
He has brought plenty of success to the Spartans program. The team has captured seven state titles throughout his coaching tenure, and Meske will also leave behind a lasting legacy with the school.
"David Meske's football is all they really know here at Webb," senior linebacker Joey Bonifacio said. "I mean, his name is on the stadium."
The Webb School stadium has been named "David Meske Stadium" since 2015, just after Meske and the Spartans capped off a state championship three-peat. Meske himself hopes his legacy goes beyond just the on-field success.
"Hopefully we have people out in the community that are making a difference in other people's lives," Meske said. "You can look at wins and losses and all that stuff. I want to look and see what our alumni are doing to make this world a better place."
Meske is still hoping he and his team can "win every game" this season, but when it's over, he plans to take his newfound free time to the outdoors to spend time with his wife.
"Instead of going camping for two or three days at a time, we're going to go for two or three weeks at a time," Meske said. "We're going to try and travel as much as we can, and do some of the things we haven't been able to do together.