Coach Kevin Freeman ready for school, three new seasons
With 18 years of experience teaching at Marathon High School, Kevin Freeman is ready to start the 2017-18 school year teaching physical education, leadership, and driver’s education.
In addition to his school-hours job, he’s the coach for varsity girls’ volleyball and softball and boys’ basketball.
“Volleyball just started practicing last week,” he said. “The one thing I’ve learned, coaching the girls has given me more gray hairs than coaching the boys.”
He received his teaching degree from Old Dominion University in Virginia and came to visit Key West after he graduated. “I planned to play around for a year before going back to Virginia to start a career and family,” he said. “And, 23 years later, I’m still here and found all that is paradise.”
He’s been married to his wife Jody for 15 years and they have two children. His son, Christopher, is a sophomore at University of Central Florida and his daughter, Caroline, is a seventh grader at Marathon Middle School.
Nickname? KBFree – from my basketball days.
How did you become involved with sports at MHS? I always wanted to be a coach. My first coaching job was the JV boys’ basketball team at Marathon.
Whoa, you coach girls’ volleyball and softball and the boys’ basketball team? Coaching three sports definitely makes the year go by fast! Basketball is my first love. I took over volleyball when Coach Rick Hale retired, and started softball three years ago.
Favorite memory as a teacher at Marathon High School? Watching my son graduate in 2016.
What do your summers consist of? My summers consist of cold A/C and Netflix. I watched all nine seasons of “The Office” this summer. Clearly, I had some lofty goals for myself.
You’re a big Duke fan, right? Why? I became a Duke fan in the ’80s. I knew I wanted to coach then after following Coach K. at Duke! I catch a lot of flak for also liking the Yankees, Cowboys and Lakers. They were all good when I was a kid and I stayed with them.
Dream meal: you are sitting at a diner counter eating. Who walks in and sits next to you? My students would know this one right off the bat: Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.
Which TV character is your alter ego? Michael Scott from “The Office.”
Best piece of advice you ever received? “It’s for the kids.”
Best advice for the class of 2018? Get to prom before 9 p.m.
What is your nerdiest passion? You’ll lose against me in Revolutionary War trivia.
What was your first thought this morning? Sadly, it’s my last day of summer break.
If you could change the world, what would you do? Keep mini-season locals only.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Besides wanting to play quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys or shortstop for the Yankees, I always wanted to be a teacher. I guess it worked out.
What’s the worst sports “fail” you’ve witnessed with MHS sports? One of my players, who will remain nameless, shot a layup on the wrong basket, missed it, got his rebound and shot it again.
Remember when you were a limo driver – I know you have some good stuff from that? Um, I was never a limo driver. (Kristen clearly doesn’t remember her 2000-01 school year well, eek.)
But, you do teach driver’s ed…Yeah, I learned that a lot of kids still don’t know their right from their left.
Finish these sentences…
My wife Jody would describe me as … a good husband, a good father, and a good laundry folder.
My autobiography would be titled … Geezariba.
Marathon is like … Small Town, USA, on an island.
I live by the motto … Summer People, Some Are Not.
