NASHVILLE, Tenn. -
Maplewood High School assistant football coach Bryan Holt died last week following a long bout with sickle cell anemia.
A graduate of Whites Creek High and Tennessee State, Holt, 35, followed head coach Arcentae Broome from McGavock to Maplewood to start the 2009 season and coached the team's secondary.
He had been at practice up until last Tuesday, and his players didn't know his condition was severe.
"I knew he was battling with sickle cell. I didn't know it was that major, or like he was battling it that hard," football player Julian Sowell said.
Sickle cell anemia is the most common form of sickle cell disease and affects roughly 80,000 to 1,000,000 Americans.
Principal Ron Woodward told Nashville's News 2 the school lost a great man.
"He pushed our boys to play extremely hard. He wanted them to be young men who had character and he expected the best out of every young man who touched that field," Woodward said.
Sowell added, "He always wanted the best out of you. He was always going to push you to 100%."
Woodward said he met with the team on Sunday following Holt's death.
"We just kind of had a mini-memorial service here in our building," he said.
Maplewood High School hosts the Metro Football Jamboree Thursday night and will present flowers to his family.
Maplewood lost in the championship game last year.
