After almost 30 years as an assistant football coach , not to mention as a head coach in other sports, Stephen Ayers is finally tackling the last item on his career "bucket list."
Beechcroft might not be where the Brookhaven graduate expected to lead a football program for the first time, considering the schools were rivals until Brookhaven closed in 2014 , but Ayers is hitting the ground running after recently being named Cougars coach.
"I've had opportunities before but with my kids playing sports, I was family-oriented first, and being a head football coach is time-consuming," Ayers said. "But the time is right now. Beechcroft is a perfect opportunity for me. I've had support from the administration, parents and the players.
"Being a City (League) guy, being from the city, this is where my roots are. I am happy to be back."
Ayers succeeds Humphrey Simmons, who went 20-18 in four seasons and remains at the school as boys basketball coach. The Cougars won the City-North championship in 2021 and split the title with Northland in 2022.
Ayers has coached both track and field and wrestling at Walnut Ridge since 2015.
His son, Michael, was a standout defensive back for Walnut Ridge who went on to become an All-American inside linebacker at Ashland. He signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Seattle Seahawks last spring .
Stephen Ayers said his son currently is preparing for more potential football opportunities.
A 1991 graduate of Brookhaven, Ayers played at Bowling Green and began his coaching career at his high school alma mater in 1996. He stayed there until the school closed, then coached for seven years at Walnut Ridge and was Reynoldsburg's defensive coordinator in 2022.
Ayers was an assistant at Africentric last fall.
"I always knew I was ready (to be a head coach); I had that itch," Ayers said. "I'm excited. I'm ready for the challenge. This is kind of the last thing on my bucket list."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Stephen Ayers named Beechcroft High School football coach
