Cole said he’s still ending his practices with the same message he’s called out to players for decades: don’t embarrass yourself, don’t embarrass your family and don’t embarrass your institution. The request is one Cole hopes his former players and fans will see as his legacy, the notion that he wants those around him to do the right thing above all else.

Even though Cole will discuss how he’d like to be remembered, that doesn’t mean he sees himself hanging up his whistle anytime soon. Cole figures he’ll coach for another 20 years, maintaining that nothing gives him more joy than being on the football field.

Cole has left a mark on countless players and coaches alike all across the country thanks to his approach to the game. The catalog of people who go on and on about Cole’s role in their lives is significant, and as long as he has his say, it will only grow in the years to come.

“I have a passion for it. I don't think anybody stops coaching. Coaching never gets out of anybody's blood,” Cole said. “I'm challenging them, and they’re going out there and doing everything. Right now, I don't see (retiring) in the future.

“When they decide to bury me under the 50-yard line, that's when I'll stop coaching.”

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