BELFRY, Ky. (WYMT) – WYMT has confirmed that Belfry Head Football Coach Philip Haywood has died.

He was in serious condition after a crash Saturday morning. He was taken to the University of Kentucky hospital. Haywood died Wednesday afternoon.

Haywood is the winningest high school football coach in KHSAA history.

He took over as Belfry football head coach in 1984 and has spent the past 41 seasons with the pirates.

Haywood led the Belfry program to its first ever state title in Class 2A in 2003. Since then, Haywood’s pirates have won the state championship 7 more times: 2004, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2021.

Belfry comes off a state finalist season in 2024.

In 2013,Haywood was voted USA Today’s best high school football coach.

While he may be most well-known for his coaching career, he was also beloved for his service and leadership off the field.

Haywood served as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes huddle leader at Belfry for more than 25 years, and he was a youth leader at his church that often spoke regularly.

Haywood was also an author who wrote two books.

The first was ‘Faith, Family, and Football’ which was published on December 23, 2014. The second was ‘Climb the Mountain’ which was published on May 17, 2023.

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