Louisville Central Honors Ty Scroggins Friday Night

Friday night’s Kroger KSR Game of the Week was less about football and more about honoring the late Tyrran “Ty” Scroggins.

Scroggins died Feb. 10 at the age of 49 due to complications with COVID-19. To honor his legacy, the athletic complex at Central is now dubbed the Tyrran “Ty” W. Scroggins Stadium.

Coach Scroggins was the head coach at Central from 2007-16, where he amassed a 101-43 overall record over five state-championship campaigns (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012) — He became the first African American KHSAA coach to win a state title in 2007.

Central Head Coach Marvin Dantzler

“I’m in a blessed place,” current Central head coach Marvin Dantzler said. “I’m fortunate to be the head coach of this program, it’s a great program and that was on display tonight.”

Dantzler, who won the only Central state title (2018) that wasn’t under Scroggins, said he saw the impact Scroggins had on the Yellowjacket community and wanted to honor him as soon as possible.

“I was a big supporter of (renaming the stadium), especially after his passing,” he said. “I felt like it was time — I didn’t want time to pass. There’s no guarantee how long I’m going to be here, (so) let’s do it while we’re in this moment. If we let time go by and we get busy, it’s easy for people to forget and I didn’t want that to happen.”

He said tonight showed how much the Yellowjacket family loved Coach Scroggins and vice versa. Despite not crossing paths as coaches at Central, Dantzler recognized that Scroggins personified what it meant to be a part of their program.

“(Scroggins) cared about Central football,” he said. “He cared about the kids. His next phase was that he was starting to mentor. He called me, we got together and we were going to start mentoring young coaches.”

None of Dantzler’s players were around to learn under the legendary coach, but Dantzler made sure to send a message to his team about the incredible event they were about to be a part of. “(The players) understand that at the end of the day, we’re playing to protect (Central’s) brand,” he said. 

The biggest aspect of it is getting his kids to understand that there are some expectations when it comes to Central football — expectations to be the best.

“Central is a brand. It’ hard for inner-city schools to win state titles no matter where you’re coaching and for us to have it in the inner city of Louisville — we want to keep that going.”

Scroggins’ Impact on the Louisville Community

People from all over the Louisville community showed out Friday night to honor Scroggins. Some notable KHSAA and JCPS figures voiced their condolences since his passing.

“What he really knew how to do was get the men around him, and the boys around him, to believe in the mission that they were headed after,” KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett said in February.

The public-address announcer at Ty Scroggins Stadium Friday night said that Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer named Friday night (Sept. 10, 2021) as Tyrran “Ty” Scroggins Day in Louisville.

“His time as head coach at Central is marked by a commitment to athletic excellence, academic achievement, integrity and always doing what was best for his young men who played under him,” said Robert Moore, chief of schools for JCPS.

Family

“This is just a testament to how he carried himself with people, how he loved them, and how he was friends to everyone, it’s just breathtaking to me tonight,” said his mother Yvonne Richardson.

Central held an emotional ceremony prior to kickoff Friday night. Scroggins’ former players, friends, coaches and more all came together to honor the fallen coaches legacy.

“To me it’s just an honor to know that my son was loved,” Richardson said. “It’s just a testament to how he carried himself with people, how he loved them, how he was friends to everyone. It’s just breathtaking to me. This here is an honor and a blessing. He deserved it. He worked so hard.”

Both Scroggins mother and step-father, William Richardson were in attendance for Fridays blowout against Belfry. Scroggins won four of his five state titles against the Pirates.

“His name will be there forever,” he said about the stadium. “It brings a little sorrow, but it also brings a lot of pride. That was my Cleveland Browns buddy. He was more than just a coach, a father. He was my best friend.”