Derek Yost has taught and coached in the Platte County School District for over a decade.
From his lessons in the classroom or on the field, court, track and even along the shoreline for the bass fishing team, Yost has had an influence on countless students in the area. His impact will become even more magnified as the next head coach for Platte County’s football team.
“It’s a surreal moment,” Yost said. “Kind of excited about what the future holds, but also incredibly grateful for getting the opportunity.”
Derek Yost
Long before his rise up the coaching ranks of Platte County’s football team — one of the most respected football programs in the state — Yost stood on the opposite sideline as a two-way player for the Savannah Savages. The Savannah High School graduate of 2010 only had to do it once before the schools split into separate conferences, but it still resonates with him how respected the program has been for decades.
Yost always felt an affinity for the defensive side of the ball, enjoying his time as a middle linebacker for Savannah. He also played center on offense, with the demand of playing on both sides of the ball.
Inspired by his mother’s dedication in the field of education, Yost went on to earn a degree in English Education from Missouri State University. Once he got his teaching certificate, he knew he wanted to get into coaching football at the high school level.
After graduating from Missouri State, he returned home to Savannah, where he served his high school alma mater’s football team coaching staff. Yost started at the bottom of the totem pole at Savannah, serving as he described as a “glorified equipment manager.”
That role allowed Yost to earn his stripes in his second season, when he served as the head freshman coach and varsity linebackers coach.
He joined Platte County’s coaching staff a year later, where he has served in various roles on defense, including linebackers and secondary coach. He has also coached the freshman and junior varsity teams, as well as video coordination and served as special teams coordinator.
During his time with Platte County, Yost has helped the Pirates football program win five district titles, make four Show-Me Bowl appearances for a state championship, and most recently, helped the Pirates win back-to-back state championships in Class 5 with a 28-game winning streak heading into his first season at the helm.
Yost, who currently serves as an English teacher at Platte County High School, has also coached on various other athletic programs, including basketball, track and field, and bass fishing.
Among Yost’s goals as the new head coach is to contribute to the brand that the high school has built over the years. It was evident during his time at Savannah, and has remained strong throughout his time on the Pirates’ coaching staff.
“Platte County as a brand is just a super-strong, kind of state-wide,” Yost said. “You kind of recognize the black and orange when you see it. You know what the football program is all about.”
Derek Yost, right, celebrates Platte County’s state championship win in overtime against Carthage.
To continue building the Platte County brand, Yost hopes to instill a championship mindset through daily habits in the classroom, on the field and at home. He is taking a whole-person approach with a focus on cleaning up some habits and making sure his athletes make the most of all Platte County has to offer.
“The first thing I want to do is preserve some things about that brand and make sure we kind of uphold the strong tradition that’s been here,” Yost said. “But also putting my own personal touches on it; trying to build for a future that continues the winning tradition on the field, and build some unique things off the field as well.”
Yost has taken a lot from mentors over his career, including his predecessor Bill Utz, as well as former defensive coordinator Eric Mitchell.
“Getting to work for guys like that, and getting to learn from them every single day about how to go about your business and how to continue to work,” Yost said. “I owe a lot of where I am now to those guys.”
The first season for Yost will present some big challenges with new leadership both on the sidelines and on the field. In addition to a new head coach, Platte County will have new offensive and defensive coordinators, as well as practically an entirely new offense after graduating a large senior class.
“You don’t take a job like this without expecting to win games, but we’re not going to worry about streaks or where we are in a championship window,” Yost said. “We’re going to worry about those day-in, day-out habits and how we’re attacking the weight room and on-the-field processes.”
Yost has placed a big emphasis on instilling his team with habits of working hard and camaraderie. If the team can do that, then there is faith that everything else will fall into place.
Ahead of his first season as head coach, Yost expressed his gratitude for the Platte County community. He hopes to continue making the community proud over the year ahead.
“It’s still a great time to be a Pirate, it’s always a great time to be a Pirate,” Yost said. “We’re excited for the great things to come.”