Coming Home Again Vol. 1 Issue 1 Joe Morris

Joey (Joe) Henderson--Assistant Coach
Joe Henderson went to high school at Todd County where he played football, basketball and baseball. He graduated
from Western KY University in 1996 where he also played football. In 1994 he was assistant coach at Ohio County.
1996-1997 Defensive coordinator at Union County. 2000 he became Assistant coach at MHS. Coach Henderson says
it was the football tradition that brought him to MHS. His goal for the year was to win the state championship and to
continue the success and tradition in the future. His most memorable play of the season was Adam Ivey’s field goal vs.
Danville to put us up by 10 points. His most memorable play of the state game was Saxton’s touchdown reception in
the 2nd quarter to put Mayfield up 7-0. When asked what the season has meant to him he answered “I am thankful
for having the opportunity to work with such a special group of young men. I am also grateful to be able to work with
a great coaching staff. (Copied from the 2002 Cardinal Spirit magazine)
Joe Henderson--Superintendent
I am a firm believer that God has placed everyone on earth for a purpose and my story of ending up
at Mayfield would definitely support that belief. In the Spring of 2000, I met Coach Joe Morris at a
coaches clinic in Bowling Green. As most coaches do, we talked football. Having played Mayfield
during the previous Fall, I feel we developed respect for each other based on how each of our teams
had played and, of course, the drawing of offensive and defensive schemes on napkins added to that
respect. Coach Morris told me that if I was ever interested in an assistants position to give him a
call. Later in the early Summer of 2000, as most young head coaches, I had high expectations for the
program that I was leading, however, it didn’t seem the administration shared those same goals. At
that point, I contacted Coach Morris to see if there was an opportunity to join his staff at Mayfield.
He explained that he had an opening, but was waiting on a resignation of a teaching position for my
certification. My wife, being a guidance counselor at Union County, began applying at other Region
1 schools with guidance counselor position openings. Not too long after applying, she received a
call from Lone Oak High School to schedule an interview. I told her that I wasn’t sure the Mayfield
position was going to work out, so she declined the interview. Approximately a week passed before
my wife and I come down to talk to Coach Morris and visit the school. Joe informed me
that the coaching and teaching position at Mayfield was officially available, however, he
was not sure there was anything for Lynn. After talking for a while, he ask us to go to the
school and meet Principal Steve Traynham. We entered Mr. Traynam’s office that day
and Coach Morris introduced us. After brief conversation, he looked at Lynn and commented
“do you want a job”. She asked, “what job,” and Mr. Traynham informed us that
his counselor was just hired at Lone Oak High School as their counselor.
I learned alot about the history of Mayfield Football through Joe Prince, a 1981 graduate
of Mayfield High School, while working under him as an assistant coach at both Ohio
County and Union County. That made the decision to resign as a head football coach
and become an assistant coach at one of the most storied football programs in the country
an easy decision. My attitude toward coaching fit perfect with Mayfield’s philosophy. It
is never about one player or coach; it is about winning and the MAYFIELD name on the
jersey. There have been some great coaches that I have met and coached with at Mayfield,
but the community and the athletes are the backbone of the program.
In 2004, I was hired in my first administrative position as principal at Mayfield Middle
School and could no longer coach in that position. There was some turnover in staff that
year, so Joe ask if I would still work in the press box on Friday nights until some of the
younger guys he hired gained some experience. Not knowing the complete game plan
each week would be difficult, but I agreed to do anything I could to help. Now, 15 years
have gone by and I am still in the press box each Friday night contributing in any manner
I can.
I am honored to be the Superintendent at Mayfield Independent Schools. I appreciate
that I have been able to be a small part of the football program over the last 18 years.
Winning never gets old.
Mater Dei
Graves County Economic Development
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