09/06/2026
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On Thursday, September 3rd, Coach John Allen passed away. During his career at Mount Greylock Regional High School, he devoted himself to young people as a teacher, coach, mentor, and, for so many, someone who helped shape the direction of their lives. Over nearly four decades, generations of students and athletes passed through his classroom and played on his teams. Countless people left Mount Greylock better prepared for life because Coach Allen had been part of theirs, and I was fortunate to be one of them.
Coach Allen was much more than a coach. He was a very special person who had an extraordinary ability to see potential in a young person before they could always see it in themselves. He taught discipline, hard work, responsibility, and leadership. More importantly, he cared enough to tell you the truth, challenge you when you needed it, and expect more from you because he knew you were capable of more.
I learned that firsthand. After I was elected captain of the baseball team, Coach Allen called me aside and told me, in no uncertain terms, that it was time for me to stop being the “clown prince” and start becoming a leader. His words were simple and direct, but they came at one of the most pivotal times in my young life. I never forgot them.
That conversation helped set me on the right path. It made me begin to think seriously about my future, about preparing for college, and about what it meant to accept responsibility and become a leader. Coach Allen reached me at a time in my life when I needed someone to do exactly that.
That was his gift. He didn’t need to give a long sermon. He knew what needed to be said and, just as importantly, when it needed to be said. He had a way of getting through to you and making you expect more from yourself.
Think about what a career like his at Mount Greylock represents: thousands of days in classrooms, on practice fields, in dugouts, and in hallways. Thousands of opportunities to encourage someone, offer advice, teach a lesson, or simply let a student know that somebody believed in them. That is where Coach Allen’s true impact can be found.
The true measure of a coach or teacher is not found simply in wins and losses, championships, grades, or statistics. It is found in the people they help shape and in the lessons those people carry with them throughout their lives. By that measure, Coach Allen’s legacy is remarkable.
Looking back today, I understand just how much Coach Allen gave to me, and I know there are so many others who feel the same way. I will always be grateful that he came into my life when he did.
Rest in peace, Coach. Thank you for believing in us before some of us fully believed in ourselves. Thank you for expecting more from us because you knew we were capable of more. And thank you for giving so much of yourself to the students and athletes of Mount Greylock.
There can be no greater tribute to the life of a teacher, a coach, a mentor, and a truly special person.
