Maumee football coach steps down

Maumee high school head coach John Boles yells to his team during the second quarter against Sylvania Southview in 2008.

John Boles, the winningest coach in the history of the Maumee High School football program, has stepped down.

Boles, who has coached the Panthers since 1998, has decided to resign due mostly to the year-round demands of the job.

“It's very difficult to walk away because I developed a deep connection with this community,” Boles said. “I put some roots down here. I love this school and I wanted to see it prosper.”

This season Boles broke the record for career wins at Maumee and he finished with 86 victories.

Boles led Maumee to six playoff appearances. He also guided the Panthers to the first playoff win in program history. In 2003, the Panthers knocked off Tiffin Columbian to advance to the Division II regional semifinals.

“That was a big moment,” Boles said.

His Panthers also reached the Division II regional semifinals in 2010. Maumee upset powerhouse Avon Lake 20-13 on the road in one of the biggest wins in program history. It was the first time the Panthers had ever won a playoff game on the road.

Under Boles, Maumee made the playoffs four straight years (2001-04). The Panthers have a 3-8 all-time tournament record with all three wins under Boles.

Maumee captured two Northern Lakes League titles (2001 and 2009) under Boles. In 2001, the Panthers defeated rival Perrysburg in the regular-season finale to capture the NLL title. The Yellow Jackets were undefeated at the time.

“That was huge as well,” Boles said. “That was pretty incredible.”

Before coming to Maumee, Boles spent 12 seasons at Genoa. He started his head coaching career at Northwood after serving as an assistant at Clay.

“I've been involved in the game since I was 12 years old. That's 46 falls,” Boles said.

Boles, who retired from his position as a history teacher last February, said he hasn't ruled out coming back as an assistant at some point.

“There's no one reason. It's just time to step down,” he said. “The job is no longer right for me. It gets tougher and bigger every year.

“There's a lot to feel good about,” Boles said. “We wanted consistency. I think we did it the right way. I feel very lucky to have so many good coaches and players that were so dedicated.”