When Marietta Public Schools hired Chuck Terry as its football coach and Kimberly
Terry as a teacher for the 2024-25 school year, they got more than they bargained for.
Coach Terry came with a good reputation as a successful leader who invests himself in
kids and grows a solid program and he’s doing his best to deliver.
Mrs. Terry came with a reputation as a solid classroom teacher, and – again – so far,
she’s delivering, having stepped in as not only the high school’s special education
teacher, but also the co-director of Special Services and ELL.
MPS counted on having Coach Terry on the sidelines on Friday nights. But they never
thought about having Kim there – or about how important she would be to the team.
To the Indians football team, Kim Terry has become a team mom, nurse, laundress,
cheerleader, procurer of snacks, bearer of necessary items, cook, advocate, and
general caretaker of football players. If that seems like a lot hats, it is. But Mrs. Terry
wears them all.
While she’s been a coach’s wife for a long time, and has always been very involved, she
hasn’t always been on the sidelines.
“Before I moved to the sidelines, my spot was right in front of the press box on the 50-
yardline. I might go down to the field to help with something, but I’d be back and forth,”
she explained. “But covid changed everything.”
After covid, things had to be sanitized and organized to prevent contagion, and Kim was
the person who made sure that happened.
“We cleaned EVERYTHING, and each kid had their own towel and bottle and other
things, and we had to make sure everything stayed separated,” she said, “and that’s
what moved me down to the sidelines. Chuck needed me to make sure things stayed
clean and in order. I did it at Walters, and I do it here, and the kids seem to have gotten
used to me.”
Kim’s brother is an athletic trainer, and when she was in college, she took a class in the
care and prevention of athletic injuries, and she admits that it’s come in handy.
“When we met with the boys the first time at Marietta, Chuck told them, ‘This is my wife
and she’ll be around and will be your advocate. She can get what you need,’ and they
have definitely responded – and not just on the football field,” laughed Kim. “They come
to me in the building, too, for band-aids and things like that. I’ve even had kids I don’t
know come and ask me for things. I guess they’ve seen me doing things on the
sidelines and they come and get what they need.”
In addition to her presence on the sidelines, Mrs. Terry coordinates other team activities
like their family night meals, Saturday morning breakfasts when the team gathers to
watch film, pregame snacks for road games, and others. Since she’s taught for years,
Mrs. Terry understands all too well that the way to a football player’s heart is through his
stomach.
For the Terrys, working together in education is a mission.
“Chuck has been coaching a long time,” she said, “and we’ve always treated his players
like they’re our own kids. Taking care of them is just what we do.”
Obviously, the way the Terrys do things has been embraced at Marietta.
“We always have kids’ best interest at heart,” remarked Mrs. Terry. “We expect a lot
from them, and we want them to reach their full potential, so we’re sometimes hard on
them, but it’s because we love them.”
And who doesn’t want that for their kids?
So, yes, Kim Terry wears a lot of hats. She wears them well, and it’s come to the
attention of plenty of folks – kids, obviously, but also parents and community members,
and even officials. The school’s administration is no exception.
“We knew immediately that we had something special in both Coach Terry and Mrs.
Terry, but the icing on the cake was the very first day that Coach was meeting with his
team, and she was already doing laundry and cleaning up around the field house!”
expressed Superintendent Brandi Naylor.
“By the time school started, she knew all the players and trainers by name and became
an advocate for them on and off the field. She understands that football is more than
just the Friday night lights and is working hand-in-hand with her husband to make the
program organized, fun, and special for all involved.”
But with all the jobs that Kim Terry does, there’s one that she believes she does better
than all the rest.
“Chuck and I have been married for 35 years, and I know what he wants before he
does,” she laughed, “so I keep Chuck straight if he needs it.”
No doubt about it – when Marietta hired the Terrys, they got some serious bang for their
buck.