French reflects on a life in football: ‘We’ve had a great, great time’

By any measure, Larry French’s career on the Kentucky high-school sidelines ranks among the most prolific in state history, yet the 74-year-old prefers to talk about what he is building next—toy boxes, swing sets, memories with the grandchildren he once hurried past on Friday nights.

French, who announced his retirement in December, will spend this fall far removed from the headset that defined more than five decades of autumns. After 48 seasons as a head coach at six schools—Meade, Mercer, Lincoln and Boyle counties, Southwestern and Middlesboro—he compiled a 381-182 record, captured two Class 4A state titles at Boyle County in 2009 and 2010, and guided six teams to undefeated regular seasons. Only Philip Haywood (486) and Dudley Hilton (455) have more wins in Kentucky lore.

“I need to slow down. I need to be with the grandkids,” French said, explaining that every birthday party, ballgame or school play seemed to conflict with practice, film or Friday-night lights. “Every time they got ready to do something … I either had football or something that kept me from going.”

The decision closes a chapter that began in 1974 when French left his hometown assistant post at Berea to help John Buchanan resurrect Mercer. The program had virtually nothing—no tradition, no weight room, no expectations—so they built both team and culture from scratch, a blueprint French would replicate across the commonwealth.

“I like challenges,” he said. “It was fun to teach from the ground up.”

Whether inheriting a struggling Lincoln squad and steering it to the 2007 Class 5A semifinals, or turning Boyle County into a juggernaut that lost once in his first three seasons, French’s formula never wavered: commit, work hard, have fun. “When you win a few games and you’ve got some success, then the kids will buy into your program,” he noted. “They want to win, too.”

French’s final stop, Middlesboro, epitomized his love of construction. After an injury-riddled 4-6 finish in 2024, the Yellow Jackets roared to an 11-0 start in 2025 before falling to eventual state finalist Pikeville in the Class 1A quarterfinals. “We went as far as we could go,” he said. “It was going to be a fun season, so I just needed to tidy up a little bit and get ready to leave.”

Along the way he collected district and regional championships, back-to-back state crowns, and entry into both the Boyle County and Mercer County athletic halls of fame within the past year. Yet he deflects credit. “I’ve not won any football games,” French insisted. “The kids are the ones that win those games. They’re the ones that put it on the line.”

His influence, however, extends well beyond the scoreboard. Former assistants populate head-coaching offices across the state, most notably Chuck Smith, who won six titles at Boyle, and French’s own son, Steven, now leading Russell County. “That thrills me, just knowing that maybe I did something that triggered them,” he said.

French plans to trade play charts for grandstand seats, attending Russell County games and, with wife Connie, relocating closer to children and grandchildren in Lexington and Russell Springs. He departs convinced the essentials of football—blocking, tackling, resilience—remain timeless even as schemes and technology evolve.

“You get knocked down, you’ve got to get back up,” he said. “You have highs and you have lows … That’s something football teaches.”

After half a century of teaching it, Larry French believes the lesson is complete—for his players, and now, for himself.