'It will always be home': John Dowtin returns to Cordova as football coach

John Dowtin cried when Barton Thorne, the principal at Cordova, officially offered him to become the school's football coach. It’s the only job he would have taken as he was contemplating retiring from coaching all together.  

Cordova football and the Cordova community mean that much to him.  

"It is home to me and it will always be home,” said Dowtin, who was announced Cordova's new coach Tuesday.

It’s basically a full-circle moment for Dowtin, who’s returning to Cordova after spending 11 seasons there from 2000-10. The first five years he was an assistant before taking over the program in 2005. After leaving Cordova after the 2010 season, he coached at Memphis University School from 2011-15, while spending one season during that stretch coaching at Bartlett as well. Dowtin has also coached at FACS − his alma mater − Kingsbury, Treadwell and Wooddale. From 2017-20, Dowtin coached at Rhodes College.  

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The Wolves finished last season 2-8, including going winless in Region 8-6A, one of the toughest regions in 6A with Collierville, Houston, Whitehaven, White Station, Germantown, Arlington and Bartlett. 

Dowtin wanted the Cordova job, which opened up after Keith Setler was named coach at Brighton after just one season, largely because he wants to revive the program back to what it was during his first tenure.  

"I want the challenge,” Dowtin said. “I want to help get Cordova back and hopefully we can get this thing rolling like we used to and I want to be a part of that.” 

It won’t be easy with several of the Region 8-6A teams getting stronger in the last few seasons. But it’s a challenge Dowtin will gladly take on.  

"I hope this is my last job ever,” Dowtin said, fighting back more tears. “I mean it.”

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.