Parents of Park Hill’s football team have expressed hope for the return of the team’s head football coach, Andy Sims.
Sims has been absent from the team since Sept. 5, when the district notified the players and their families that he would not be coaching as they work through a personnel matter. Little information regarding the situation was shared with the families and the district had no update on the situation as of Sept. 29.
The sudden change has left a notable impact on the team, which began the season with hopes of a deep postseason run. Sims led the Trojans to a Week 1 win against Rock Bridge before his suspension, from which Park Hill has a 2-2 record since.
“Over 30 seniors really look up to him as a father figure and mentor,” said Park Hill parent Melissa Mina. “He is definitely missed by those boys for sure.”
Mina said Sims has instilled a family culture in the community with the team, highlighted by tailgates. He has also set high expectations for his players in regard to working hard, achieving good grades and supporting the Park Hill community since he came to Park Hill in 2021.
“The majority of us cannot wait to have Coach Sims back on our sidelines and think that our community is ready for them (the school district) to do the right thing,” Mina said.
Many are eager for the saga to come to its conclusion so the program can move forward and give the seniors the best end to their final season wearing the Park Hill red and white. Some of the team’s parents have banded together to show support for Sims by wearing red shirts that read “Team Sims” and “Bring Back Our Coach.”
In Sims’ absence, the legendary Greg Reynolds — who is on staff as the defensive line coach — has filled in as head coach. As the winningest head coach in program history, Reynolds has brought critical guidance during a challenging situation.
The parents have hope that Sims will be back on the sidelines of Preston Field as soon as this coming week, when Park Hill hosts conference rival Liberty on Oct. 3.
“With a lot of prayer, we’re pretty confident that the school will do the right thing and he will be back next week,” Mina said.