John Ware, head football coach at Missouri Southern State University, died Sept. 27 at the age of 46. Ware was the husband of former Truman State University SID Melissa Ware.
Ware, who was in his second year as head coach at Missouri Southern, collapsed in his office at around 10 a.m. of an apparent heart attack. Attempts to revive the coach by medical personnel and those first on the scene - the coaching staff and MSSU training staff - failed. He was rushed by ambulance to Freeman Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday in Springfield, Mo., and funeral arrangements, which will be made available as soon as they are known, are pending.
"John Ware was a man with a vision, and that vision was beginning to become clear to our community and our campus," Beard said. "It was almost palpable, the impact that he had in just a short period of time."
"Like all of the guys, I'm grieving, but I'm also grieving the loss of one of my best friends - if not by best friend," said Keeth Matheny, the Lions' offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, who will take over the program for the remainder of the year.
"John was one of those guys that made you feel better after you talked to him," Matheny said. "He was as even-keeled as they come and he was as visionary as they come. Nothing deterred him from our team was headed. He was the center-board of this program and we would not be blown off course.
"There are five games remaining - five opportunities - to make a great man proud."
After the Lions finished 1-10 in 2003, Ware became the eighth head coach in MSSU history in December of that year. His spring roster in 2004 didn't even include enough players to stage a spring football game, but he led the Lions to a 5-6 record in the 2004 campaign despite a roster that was more than half comprised of freshmen. His squad remained in the hunt for a Mineral Water Bowl berth until the last week of the season and he was named national coach of the year by Collegesportsreport.com.
This season, the Lions have a 2-3 record with losses to Pittsburg State, currently ranked No. 4 in the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll, Northwest Missouri State, currently ranked No. 7 and to Harding (Ark.), which sits just outside the AFCA Top 25.
Beard said Ware wanted his players to be more than football players.
"John Ware loved the game of football, but that was merely a vehicle for him to have an impact on young men," Beard said. "I don't know of very many head coaches who would have had their players out at busy intersections, on a game day and a game day with (MSSU's border rival) Pittsburg State, collecting donations for Hurrcane Katrina relief. But John Ware did."
Ware joined the Lions after 19 years (1985-2003) at Truman State University, including nine years (1995-2003) as head coach. He was 54-44 during his head coaching tenure at Truman and he won more than 60 percent of his Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association games.
Ironically, Missouri Southern and Truman are scheduled to play Saturday (Oct. 1) in MSSU's homecoming game. That contest will be played as scheduled, with a special recogition of coach Ware planned prior to the 2 p.m. kickoff.
The Lions will also wear a patch on their helmets depicting the coach's initials and a "1%" insignia, which will serve as a reminder of coach Ware's belief that a team improve one percent every day to be successful.
"The players loved him," Matheny said. "There are hundreds of players and coaches that knew him and loved him and interacted with him on a regular basis. A week did not go by in our office when there was not a former John Ware football player foming by to talk to him and to thank him. He is one of the rare men that I have met and that our team has interacted with.
Southern football players, after a tumultuous morning and an afternoon of meetings, were visibly shaken.
"To lose a coach to a coaching change hurts," said senior linebacker Atiba Bradley. "But to lose a coach to death ... it hurts that much more.
"I think for all of these last five games, everybody from the seniors down to the freshmen are ready to play hard and go after it."
"When I first came here the program was kind of down," said senior wide receiver Dustin Bromley. "I think when he came in ... he just brought a whole different aspect to the game, having the feeling and having the confidence that you can win every game."
Jason Stumbo, MSSU's senior center, said he talked to Ware, who was also Stumbo's position coach, every day.
"Not a day went by that I didn't go in and talk to coach Ware in his office," said Stumbo. "He's a great coach and a great position coach. He taught me more than just things I can use on a football field. He taught me stuff that I can use later in life."