Coach Ronnie McNease Former Miller County High School football coach, Ronnie McNease, died unexpectedly Thursday morning, April 15, 2010.

Just before he was released from an Albany hospital last Saturday, this writer called him, and he sounded great and said he was feeling good.

The coach’s wife, Terrie, stated the cause of death was either a blood clot or heart attack soon after his return home following his recent quadruple-bypass surgery.

“People have been so wonderful. It is consoling to know that he was loved by so many. He gave his heart and soul to his teams, his family and his community,” she remarked.

The current MCHS football coach, Frank Killingsworth, who assisted Coach McNease, said the entire community is shocked at Ronnie’s death. “If there is such a thing as an icon, he was an icon in this community. He was a good guy.”

Ronnie was the youngest of five sons born to the late James Richard and Ozie Kirksey McNease. He graduated from Miller County High School in 1969, and while at MCHS, he was a valuable asset to the sports program. Coach McNease played football and basketball and ran track. At only 125 pounds, he was still a giant on the football field. His position was “quarterback,” and some say he had an arm to rival Brett Favre’s.

After high school, Ronnie attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and Georgia Southwestern and the University of Georgia. He studied to become a high school history teacher and a football coach.

Little did he know that his journey would bring him back to his hometown of Colquitt.

McNease was the football coach of the Miller County Pirates for 23 years before retiring in 2006. And in those 23 years under his coaching ability, records were made and broken. During his career at MCHS, he chalked up 172 wins, 86 losses, and one tie with the Pirates in the playoffs 16 out of 23 years.

He, along with his fellow coaches, had many accomplishments. Running backs, quarterbacks, wide receivers, defensive “root hawgs,” offensive “root hawgs,” tight ends, you name it, they all felt the impact of Coach McNease. One of the players that excelled under his leadership was former University of Georgia and New Orleans Saint’s Super Bowl defensive player, Charles Grant.

Coach McNease helped put Colquitt on the map and has left a lasting impression on both his players and students.

In 2007, Coach McNease was inducted into the Miller County Sports Hall of Fame for his contributions as a student athlete and a coach.

Seminole County Head Coach Allen Ingram was one of Coach McNease’s best friends and his only assistant coach for a span from the early 80s to the mid 90s. They coached together from 1984-2004. Then Ingram left to become the head coach at Miller County’s biggest rival and his own alma mater, Seminole County.

The move, however, didn’t affect the great friendship between the two men. They always ended their frequent conversations with, “I love you, man.”

Ingram stated that he received 26 phone calls in a 40 minute span after McNease’s death.

A memorial service was held at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, at Pirate Stadium, a fitting place for everyone to say farewell to Coach McNease who spent a good portion of his time and life there.