Why David Meske decided this season would be his last as Webb football coach

The 2022 season will be the last for one of the best coaches in Knoxville area high school football history.

Webb School football coach David Meske announced that after the 2022-23 school year, he will be retiring. That includes his role as an assistant principal and athletic director at the school. Meske will be in his 40th year at Webb when he retires and has been the head football coach for 38 seasons. 

“It’s been a dream job for me, but you sort of figure out when it’s time," Meske told Knox News. "It's an extremely hard decision. This has been our life, my wife works here, my children graduated from here. So it's been a huge part of our family, Webb School has, and it's been an unbelievable part of our family."

SEASON PREVIEW:Knoxville-area Division II high school football preview, predictions for 2022 season

TURNING IT AROUND:How new coach Jeff Miner i—s bringing fresh start to Hardin Valley football after losing seasons

REGION STANDING PREDICTIONS:Predicting every Knoxville area high school football team's finish in 2022 region standings

Meske, 62, said he and his wife, Lyn, have talked about things they want to do with their life while they still can. He felt it was their time to move on and said they're looking forward to doing things they haven't been able to in the past.

Meske has been at the helm of Webb football since 1985 after one year as an assistant coach. Since then, he's amassed 281 career wins and seven of the school's eight state championships — including three in a row from 2012-14. Ten of Meske's former players have won the Mr. Football award.

His most notable football player was Chad Pennington, who went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL.

In 2015, Webb honored Meske by naming their stadium David Meske Stadium. He was also inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

His career began at Webb at the suggestion of his college professor at Tennessee, who saw the opening for a position that involved being a physical education teacher, wresting coach and a football coach. Meske never imagined that job would turn into a life in East Tennessee.

"I never thought that I would be here 40 years," Meske said. "I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and we always thought we'd go back there someday. But this has become our home. This is where our family is and we're going to spend the rest of our time in Knoxville, Tennessee, because we love it."

Webb School has grown from high school and middle school when Meske arrived to a K-12 school. The most rewarding part of it all for Meske is seeing his students "excel after they leave and do great things in the community."

Knowing this season is his last, Meske will appreciate each Friday night under the lights a little bit more.

"I am going to cherish every second of being with these kids and being with this community, and it's going to be a great year," Meske said. "It's going to be a wonderful year and I'm going to leave Webb School, excited about the school and happy as we change the look of our life. We're leaving a school that we will always remember as just wonderful."