Although he passed away in 1983 at the young age of forty-seven, “Big John” Merritt left a football legacy which ranks him as one of the great coaches of our time. Born on January 26, 1926 in Falmouth, Kentucky, Merritt spent his entire adult life coaching football. His record of 238-67-11 put him eighth on the all-time NCAA list of coaches who had won at least 200 games at a four-year college. After graduating from Kentucky State and receiving a master’s from the University of Kentucky, Merritt began his coaching career in the high school ranks at Versailles, Kentucky, for three years. He then moved on to Jackson State College, where he was head coach for ten years. The final job he held was at Tennessee State University, where he coached for twenty-one seasons. In his career, Merritt coached nine national football championship teams, four undefeated squads, and nine teams that lost but one game. He was named NCAA Division 1AA Coach of the Year in 1982 and Southwestern Conference Coach of the Year three times. Perhaps his greatest legacy, “Big John” was a tireless worker for all charities and underprivileged people. Former Nashville Mayor Richard Fulton summed it up best when he said of Merritt: “His influence went far beyond just winning football games. John helped bring people together.”
