JMS football stadium now has a name, Johnny “Coach” Bruce Stadium

Named after long time Jacksboro Middle School Football Coach Johnny Bruce

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF)- “I started teaching spelling and writing at Jacksboro Elementary School, and I was an awful speller and a terrible writer,” said a grinning Johnny “Coach” Bruce. However, it didn’t take long for Bruce to find his ideal classroom in his young teaching career, the Jacksboro Middle School football field.

The field is named Gibson Field after the long ago Eagles coach, and now the stadium bears Bruce’s name. The dedication for Bruce and the official naming happened on Thursday afternoon.

Bruce’s classroom was full of life lessons and lots of football. “I remember that being pivotal (joining Bruce’s team).  I moved down here at age 12, and being a part of the football team gave me a lot of confidence.  It helped me develop leadership skills,” said Charlie Arms, a former Eagle football player who attended Thursday’s stadium dedication.

As the years moved along, Bruce, who grew up in La Follette and starred for the La Follette High School Owls football team, became entrenched at Jacksboro. He spent 33 years at Jacksboro Middle School teaching and coaching. “I went back to a La Follette reunion once and some of the teachers wanted to know why I was there, because I’d been at Jacksboro so long, they thought I graduated from JHS,” laughed Bruce.

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Arms played on Bruce’s first of several undefeated teams. “I developed a love for football that I’ve carried with me through my life.  I played some Division I football and coached some high school ball over the years.  This man right here inspired me, encouraged me and gave me that love, that passion, that drive.  And I’m so thankful to be here for this moment,” said Arms of being a student in Bruce’s on field classroom.

Former Jacksboro High School Coach Paul Gearing and former Jacksboro Middle School Principal Linda Agee greatly influenced Bruce. “They were great, just great Coach Gearing and Mrs. Agee,” said Bruce.

“This place means the world to me,” said Bruce. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-05/22/2026-6AM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)