Metcalf becomes Renton coach

Willie Fisher finally got his man.

After years of trying to convince good-friend Terry Metcalf to take over the football program at Renton High School, Fisher got his wish. Metcalf, a former Franklin High School star who went on to make his mark as a running back in the NFL, has accepted the head coaching job at Renton, where Fisher is principal.

It's the first head coaching job for Metcalf, 50, who has been offensive coordinator at Franklin since 1993.

"I grew up with Willie's younger brother, so we've been friends for a long time," Metcalf said. "He tried to get me down there (Renton) before, but I didn't want to leave my alma mater. I knew he was going to do whatever he could to get me."

He replaces George Foster, whose contract was not renewed after two seasons as head coach.

"We just wanted to make a change and go in a different direction," Fisher said.

The Indians, once a powerhouse in the Seamount League, were 1-8 last season and 4-4 in 2000.

"We're trying to bring back the tradition, pride and excellence," Fisher said.

Metcalf, a 1969 Franklin graduate who went on to play at Everett Community College and Long Beach State, spent six years in the NFL and three in the CFL. He was drafted by St. Louis and played for the Cardinals for five years. After three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League, Metcalf returned to the NFL and played one final season with the Washington Redskins before retiring in 1981.

His oldest son, Eric, played for the Redskins last season. His youngest son, Terry Metcalf Jr., who attended Seattle Prep, is a junior at South Carolina State, where he plays wide receiver.

Metcalf first began his coaching career in the late 1980s as an assistant for Eric's high-school team in Virginia. He returned to the Seattle area in 1990 and was an assistant for one year at Franklin before taking two seasons off "to refocus and get myself together." He returned to the Quakers program in 1993, when he also began teaching at Zion Preparatory Academy, a position he still maintains. Metcalf said he plans to get his teaching certificate (not required at Zion) and eventually teach at Renton.

"He'll bring a lot of discipline to the program," Fisher said. "He'll get the kids' work ethic back to where it should be, both athletically and academically."