Former Hendersonville soccer coach Russ Plummer receives Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award

HENDERSONVILLE — His wore his trademark black sunglasses, like he had for more than three decades on the soccer sidelines. 

Even in retirement, former Hendersonville soccer coach Russ Plummer wasn't changing.

This is him, he said. It's how people know him.

And so the conversation started.

Plummer, the 2020 recipient of the Fred Russell Lifetime Achievement Award, began to talk about his beginning as a soccer coach and how 33 years later it was time to retire as a coach and teacher and start a new career working for the Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association.

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The award is named after the former Nashville Banner sports editor and member of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame. Plummer, 55, was honored on Thursday during the online Tennessean Sports Awards presented by Farm Bureau Health Plans.

Past winners of the award include Father Ryan soccer coach Robin Dieterich, Brentwood volleyball coach Barbara Campbell, former Lipscomb Academy baseball and girls basketball coach Ernie Smith and former Father Ryan volleyball coach Jinx Cockerham.

"Plummer has probably been my biggest mentor," Station Camp soccer coach Jeremy Cooke said. "I've known him since I was a kid. He's been willing to help me more than anything. He's so deserving to get that (award) because he's one of the greatest men I know."

After graduating from Indiana University in 1987, Plummer admittedly knew nothing about Tennessee. A friend had told him about the job opening at Hendersonville.

"I knew Dolly Parton lived here," Plummer said. "The only thing I knew was my dad's favorite show growing up was 'Hee Haw.' And I thought growing up that was the worst show ever.

"My first year I made the mistake and said that in my class. A guy in the back said, 'Coach, my dad produced that show.' I was like, 'Sorry dude.'"

Plummer, though, would learn plenty about Tennessee as a teacher and coach at the Sumner County school. He and his wife raised his family here. 

And he built one of the top high school soccer programs in the state.

"People accepted us," Plummer said. "They allowed us to build and do things. I've traveled all over the state and played teams all over the state. I don't know anybody else in the state that has what we have. And I know that sounds very arrogant, but I think we have a lot of special things here."

Plummer won three high school state championships — in 1989, 1998 and 2010 — with the boys soccer team and four total runner-up finishes, three with the boys and one with the girls team. His boys and girls teams combined to reach the state tournament 18 times.

And he has won more than 400 games each with both programs.

Plummer has been replaced by former players Alex Tummins on the boys side and Devin Woodard on the girls. Both have been assistants on staff.

"He's one of the most humble people I've ever met," Tummins said. "And he's one of the hardest workers. You can see that in the 33 years of success that he had."

Plummer will still be around. He'll attend games to see his former team.

But he has bigger plans, too. He wants to continue to grow his sport. Plummer was an advocate for the sport to the TSSAA and with the Tennessee High School Soccer Coaches Association while at Hendersonville. And he's been involved with TACA and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, promoting the sport he coached.

"I wanted to present the big picture of soccer," Plummer said. "I think I can help the high school sport a lot more now with TACA than I could as a high school coach.

"Not being on the sidelines, I still want to come to games. I don't know where I'm going to be. I don't know where I will stand. But I want to support them."

Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.