Longtime Russellville coach Tim Townley retires

RUSSELLVILLE — VILLE – Tim Townley is getting ready to start a new chapter of life. After 38 years in the Russellville City School system as a coachfor multiple sports and an elementary physical education teacher, he’s ready to slow down and see where life takeshim.

Townley grew up in Winfield, graduated from Winfield High School, and attended the Brewer campus of Bevill State Community College in Fayette for the first two yearsof college.

Following that, he continued his education at the University of North Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology. His certification is in health andphysical education.

Townley didn’t play sports in college, but during high school he played football and a little basketball. He also ran track.

“In high school. I’d have to say football was rite,” he said.

He began his career at RCS in 1987 with student teaching, supervised by coaches Butch Harkness at West Elementary and Jack Tucker at RussellvilleHigh School.

While doing his student teaching, he helped with spring football. That gave him the opportunity to work with Coach Don Cox, who told him he’d like to bring him back to the school system when the opportunityarose.

“Coach Townley has been an intricate part of the program,” Cox said. “There have been many changes of coaches over the years. He has remained loyal and done a good job. He will be missed.”

Townley said he knew right away Russellville was somewhere he wanted to be.

“I really enjoyed it and thought the Russellville City School system was exceptional,” Townley said. “My first job was at Red Bay High School, and I taught there for two years.”

In 1989, Townley returned to Russellville andbecame the head coac or girls basketball, To a role he kept for 13 years, coac After he decided to leave for s that behind, he said he as was away from basketball a n “about two hours” when also he was asked to help with school the boysbasketball team. Townley was the head coach for girls softball for several years, as well a varsity assistant for number of years. He worked with middle football and helped with varsity football on y nights. Over the years, he’s worked with about eight head football coaches.

Townley said he can’t pick afavorite sport.

“When you’re doing the sport,yougive it all you’ve got, and I just have to say I enjoyed everything I did.”

At one point, he was working with football, basketball and softball – a sport every season, which was a schedule he ultimately found to be a bit too taxing. Realizing he needed to give up one of the sports, he chose to leave softballbehind.

Townley said his involvement with sports has meant a lot to him over theyears.

“It has taught me selfdiscipline, and that’s the biggest thing to me – running sprints, going over coverages, covering over offensive plays – you had to be disciplined enough to block out how tired you were, how much you were hurting, and do what it took to get the job done. And you must do the same thingin life.

“You can’t let distractions interfere with the decisions you need to make,” Townley continue “I think that’s what sports has taught me more than anything, selfdiscipline.”

As to why he chose the career path he’s traveled, Townley said he’s always loved sports and being around and teaching skillsto young people.

“The big reward is showing them how to do things the right way and how to be successful on the field,” he explained. “Every now and then, someone comes by to visit and expresses appreciation. That’s worth more than any paycheck. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done, and I’ve made a lot of memories.”

As to what comes next, Townley said he wants to “rest up just a little bit,” noting he has three grandchildren to keep him busy and a fourth on the way. Other retirement plans include spending time with his wife, Diane, (who retired as a RCS educator at the same time) and his children.

“I hope to spend more time with them,” Townley said, “and otherwise, just kind of leave it open and see whathappens.”