FAIRMONT, W.Va. — Fairmont Senior football coach J.L. Abbott stepped down on Tuesday, ending an overall nine-year tenure with the program that was spread over a couple of different stretches.
“When I finally got home after the state championship game in December, I had no energy,” Abbott said. “I was spent. A couple of more weeks went by, and the more I thought about it, I thought it might be time. Fairmont Senior deserves a coach that has a ton of energy – I just don’t think I have it anymore to give it the diligence it’s due.
Abbott coached Fairmont Senior to four playoff appearances in five seasons from 2005 to 2009 and then returned to the program in 2013, leading the Polar Bears to four more playoff berths.
“I just ran out of energy,” Abbott said. “I love the program, I love the kids, I love practice and I love Friday nights. But there’s a whole lot more to being a head coach than Friday nights and practice. I just didn’t think I could do it anymore. To be fair to the school, my players and my coaches, I thought (Tuesday) was a good day to do it.”
A 10-3 campaign this past season led Fairmont Senior to the Class AA state championship game and a state runner-up finish.
“We have some talent coming back,” Abbott said. “The cupboard is far from being bare at Fairmont Senior. These last four years have been great. I’ve been a part of some great teams at Fairmont Senior – a lot of great kids, kids that are going to go on and play college ball, kids that are going on to college and are going to be professionals in their careers.”
Abbott also spent the last four years coaching his son, Jake, who established himself as one of the best players in Class AA and will be a preferred walk-on at WVU next year.
“I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Abbott said of coaching his son. “I think it brought us even closer and being able to have the success that Fairmont Senior had during his high school career. His senior class was part of more wins in four years than any other class in school history. He was a part of a class that went to the playoffs all four years, which was the first time for Fairmont Senior.
“I’m excited for him (at WVU),” Abbott said. “He knows what the odds are. He had some chances to play (on scholarship) at Division II schools. But I agreed with him that I didn’t want him to look back on it in 10 years and kick himself for not even giving it a try. He’s a hard working kid, he understands the game and I hope he makes it.”
Abbott finished his nine seasons at Fairmont Senior with an overall 74-33 record.