Class of 2024
John Cropp
Coach
Football
Tennessee High School
1967-1972
Coach John Cropp 1967-1972 (Tennessee High School)
John Cropp, who was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, was the head coach of the Viking football team from 1967-1972.
During Cropp’s six-year reign at THS, he led the Vikings to a 48-15-3 record, including two undefeated State Class AAA championships in 1971 and 1972. In ’72, the Vikings were also crowned National Champions. From 1970 to 1972, Cropp’s legendary teams fashioned an incredible 35-1 mark.
Cropp graduated from Maryville High School, where he played football, basketball, and baseball. A gifted football player, Cropp earned a scholarship to play for Vanderbilt in 1957. He earned three varsity letters at Vandy, starting as a guard and linebacker. He graduated with a B.A. and a M.A.T.
Cropp served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1962-1965. His football coaching career started as an assistant with Manheim, which won the European championship.
He served two years as an assistant coach in Atlanta before coming to Bristol to coach the Vikings. He began his college career coaching at Vanderbilt as an assistant to Steve Sloan. He also coached at Texas Tech, Ole Miss, and Duke. He returned to Vandy in 1984 to coach with George MacIntyre, then moved into the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance under Roy Kramer.
In 1991, Cropp became the Associate Athletics Director at the University of Kentucky. Over the next 22 years, he was responsible for the administration of most of the Wildcats’ athletic teams, including football, soccer, and softball.
Cropp retired in 2013 after 40 years as a coach and administrator in college athletics. The softball stadium at Kentucky is named in his honor. He is also a member of the Mountain Empire Hall of Fame.
Cropp and his wife, Mary Ann, have two children and three grandchildren and live in Mississippi.