Bryan Way's legacy more than just coaching

When the fall rolls around, Bryan Way will be somewhere else other than on the sideline as a Warner Robins football coach.

That will be an adjustment, considering it hasn't happened in more than three decades, since 1983, the start of Way's senior year at Georgia.

Way announced his retirement as Warner Robins' football head coach on Tuesday, and colleagues spoke of a legacy left of much more than football.

Perhaps nobody has gone against Way more than Northside head coach Kevin Kinsler, who was a year ahead of Way when the two played football for the alma maters they went on to coach, Kinsler as a quarterback for the Eagles and Way as an offensive lineman for the Demons.

"You look at his body of work, not just as a head coach, he's given a great deal to the kids of this community that have come through Warner Robins High School," Kinsler said. "The thing to me is he always did it with a lot of integrity, did things the right way."

Football in Houston County is played in offices, school board and otherwise, and politics has been part of the landscape for decades. Warner Robins hasn't necessarily benefitted from much of that the past decade or so.

"Regardless of the outside situations, he doesn't try to make excuses, he tries to get it done," Kinsler said. "I definitely appreciate that.

"I hate to see good people like him leave the high school sports world because of the contributions that they give that has nothing to do with Xs and Os."

Chad Campbell is in his 23rd year at Peach County. The Demons and Trojans regularly scrimmaged until finally re-starting a regular-season series in 2010.

"He's a great ambassador for high school football and for Warner Robins all these years," Campbell said. "And he's a great man. Great football coach and a great man."

The longevity of surviving 32 years and different head coaches stands out to Campbell.

"You have to give him a lot of credit," Campbell said. "He went through Coach (Robert) Davis, he went through Coach (Richard) Fendley, he had (Robbie) Pruitt for a year, and he finally got it.

"I consider him a good friend. I consider him one of my close friends in the business."

Jamaal Garman was a defensive back at Warner Robins in the 1990s when Way was the offensive line coach. Now, Garman is the Demons' boys head basketball coach.

"He was tough on you, boy," said Garman, who watched coaches once his playing career was over and his working career was in the works. "He stood out to me."

Garman got a different vantage point upon joining the athletics staff, headed by Way.

"Anything I've ever needed, he was there for me," Garman said. "Without any questions asked. He doesn't micromanage me, doesn't stand over top of me."

Veterans head coach David Bruce coached with Way at Warner Robins twice.

"I can't remember anybody being at one school for 32 years," Bruce said. "He always seemed happy. He loves the Demons.

"He's got everybody's respect. He does it the right way. He's got a lot of integrity. And shoot, man, you can't help but like him."

This story was originally published January 20, 2016 at 9:42 PM with the headline "Bryan Way's legacy more than just coaching ."