Outstanding football coach Bill Yoast left an indelible mark on high school football in Alexandria, Virginia. Photo Credit: Alexandria Times

There are many outstanding athletic coaches who work with young people in our schools that are deserving of recognition. Today, I share the story of one of them: Bill Yoast, a football coach who left an indelible mark on high school football in Alexandria, Virginia.

Bill was born in Florence, Alabama, in 1924. He grew up with an absentee father, and picked cotton to help support his family. During WWII, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps, which was the precursor to the US Air Force, in 1943, where he served for three years.

Bill earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Mercer University, and his Master’s and Education Specialist degrees from Peabody College in Tennessee. He inaugurated his career as a teacher and football coach in Sparta, Georgia. He left that position after the head of the school board reprimanded him for letting an African American baseball team use the shower facilities in a local high school.

In 1960, Bill moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he accepted a position as the Head Football Coach at Francis C. Hammond High School. In 1969, he led his team to a win at the Virginia AAA Regional Championships.

Once the schools were integrated in 1971, Bill switched schools to TC Williams High, and he also switched roles to become the Defensive Coach and an Assistant Coach, while Herman Boone, who is African American, became the Head Football Coach. That season, under the leadership of the two coaches, the Hammond High team went on to win the Virginia state football championship, finishing the year with an undefeated record. In 2000, the relationship between Bill Yoast and Herman Boone was depicted in the movie Remember the Titans. Bill was portrayed by Will Patton and Herman was portrayed by Denzel Washington.

By the time Bill retired from in teaching in 1990, he had spent three decades as a football coach. During his lengthy career, he also taught physical education and driver’s education, and he coached track and field and golf teams.

Bill Yoast passed away on May 23, 2019, at an assisted living facility in Springfield, Virginia. He was 94 years old.