Just Call Me Coach

"Never say can't." This simple phrase defines the life of Coach Forrest Pruner. Because he lived out this philosophy every day, it became a watchword for the thousands of young men and women he coached over the course of more than half a century. The dream that germinated in a machine gun bunker on the Korean Peninsula was nurtured through sacrifice and hard work in the halls of Ashland College, and came fully to life on the basketball courts, tracks, and cross country courses of rural Ohio. These page tell the story of a man of influence, whose belief in the young people he coached never wavered. These pages tell the story of a man of strong personal faith and great influence whose belief in those he coached never wavered. "Sometimes," says Pruner, "you have to believe in a kid before they believe in themselves ."