Jimmy Payton encourages players at last year’s Marietta Warren game at Vincent. After three seasons at Warren, Payton accepted his head coaching position at Logan High School. (Photo: Jordan Holland)
Vincent – Three seasons after working at the helm of the Warren football program, Jimmy Payton took up a head coaching job at Logan High School.
Payton’s era with the Warriors ended with the success of the 2024 campaign, when Warren claimed a Twin State League championship and made it to the Division III playoffs.
Despite cherishing his time at Vincent, Payton was unable to miss out on the opportunity to lead the chief.
“As an Ironton guy, I grew up in a culture of how coaches did things there.” Payton said. “He really bought and believed in how he went through his process, and he always spoke and admired Logan. History, Logan was really good in the ’70s and ’80s. Coach Dale Amix has had a lot of success with Logan, and there’s a lot of community support in the football program.”
The chief made the D2 playoffs last year despite a 1-9 record. It’s a program that’s trying to turn things around, but it doesn’t necessarily require a cultural change.
“I started weights this week and I had 60-65 kids in the weight room.” Payton said. “We have good talented kids. It’s obviously going to be difficult. We’re playing at the Ohio Capital Conference now. We need to build that weight room mentality. Everything starts and ends in the weight room. It wins. That’s what builds a good program.”
Payton took over at Warren in 2022. After 3-8 in 2021, the Warriors went 4-6 in both 2022 and 2023, erupting last fall. Payton led the WHS to a 7-3 record. This included victory over Marietta and Fort Fly to win the program’s first full league title since 1995.
The Warriors took 16th place in the Region 11 playoffs and fell to top seed Watterson in the first round.
“I learned more about myself than anything else.” Payton said. “I’ve only been a head coach for four years, and it’s a process of growing. You have to be willing to grow through it. Football is a game of humble guys, whether you coach it or play it. When things are not working at times, you have to be willing to change and understand that there are no answers.”
After admiring his career at Ironton High School and Joliet College (Illinois), Peyton began coaching. He won his first head coaching job at the Missouri Military Academy in 2021, making it 5-3, the first winning season of the program in 34 years before coming to Warren.
“Not everything I did there was working at Warren.” Payton said.
“When you take over the program, you see the big picture. You know what it takes to win, and when things do that, you have to do that, so you realize that everyone ultimately wins and creates better opportunities for these kids through football.”
Payton’s biggest takeaway from his time at Warren is the bond he has built up with his players.
“I loved my time at Warren.” He said. “I really enjoyed my relationships with my kids. To see them grow – Owen Thompson, for example. He was a kid who wasn’t very sure of his role, and this summer he came to me and said he wanted to commit. Then he went out and won the first team all-state. When I watched Warren football during my stay, it was Owen Thompson, Jacob Seeley, Tanner Pepper, Randin Summers, Owen Bookman, Max Fly. They wanted to buy and win, and they could win.
“As a coach, you lose the focus of what’s really important and get caught up in losing. When I look back on this, the special thing about it is that all these kids have committed and they’ve done those things – playoffs, league wins – we’ve made those things part of our process.”
Payton will replace Logan’s former Parkersburg South Headman, Mike Eddie. Payton will return to Vincent’s third week next season as the chief is scheduled to visit the Warriors on September 5th.
“A Friday night at Vincent is something I will never forget.” Payton said. “I wish them good luck.”
