Meek had a good run at Lisbon
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LISBON -- Lisbon’s football players turned in their uniforms after school on Monday afternoon and head coach Bill Meek turned in his resignation.
“I told them I would stay two years and I did it three years,” Meek said. “It’s a resignation, not a retirement. If something came along that I couldn’t refuse … Right now I’m done.”
He finished with a 15-15 record in three seasons as head coach, including 6-5 last year and 6-4 this year for the Blue Devils’ first back-to-back winning seasons since 2016-17, which were Jim Tsilimos’ last two seasons.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” Meek said. “It kind of fulfilled a dream of mine (being a head coach). Now that I am retired, they gave me a shot.”
Meek wrapped up his 37th year of coaching, including time as an assistant at Lisbon, Toronto, Weir, Wellsville, Columbiana, Hubbard, Canfield and East Palestine, his alma mater. He has been at Lisbon since 2011.
“Division 7 is tough,” Meek said, pointing to the number of players. “It’s a young man’s game in Division 7.”
Lisbon athletic director Kyle Bing expects to begin taking applications in a couple of weeks.
“I knew there was a possibility a few weeks ago,” Bing said. “We will be opening it up for applications soon.”
Meek told his players of his resignation when they turned in their uniforms.
“I feel really good how it went. For me, it’s not about the wins and losses rather than how you play the game,” Meek said. “I am most proud of how our kids played and respected the game of football.”
He pointed to Friday’s season finale at Columbiana when the Clippers escaped with a 27-21 win.
“We didn’t deserve to be on the field with them and we had a chance to win,” Meek said. “It made my heart full.”
He said he talked with quarterback Grant Minor after injuring his knee Friday.
“He said, ‘I wanted to win the game for myself, the team and you coach,'” Meek said. “I said, ‘Grant, we did win.'”
Meek and his wife, Nikki, are both retired from the federal prison in Elkton. She is the Lisbon girls basketball head coach.
“This will allow us to do something more in the spring and summer that we haven’t been able to the last three years,” said Meek, like a day trip to Sugarcreek this week.