MOORESVILLE, Ind. -- At age 67, Mike Gillin is now in his 40th season as a head coach in the State of Indiana.
"I mean, he's been in my family for a long time," said Blake Garrett, a senior defensive end. "He coached my great uncle at Monrovia, he coached my uncle at Decatur, and then now me. He means a lot to me."
But Gillin teaches more than just the Xs and Os in Mooresville.
In 2014, Mike and his wife Michelle were taking their daughter to her volleyball game in Lafayette when another driver ran into the back of them. He and his daughter escaped, but Michelle wasn't as fortunate. She's now paralyzed from the waist down.
"Her struggles have been tough for her," Mike said. "A total change in lifestyle, not able to get to the ballgames, and not able to see our daughter's stuff. To watch her go through that should be an inspiration to most anybody."
Now, Mike also teaches life lessons along with football.
"He still comes into practice every day," said Jon Eineman, a senior wide receiver. "He's in a great mindset to practice every day. It shows you that no matter what life throws at you, you can still bounce back from anything and attack life with as much as you can."
At 6-1, the Mooresville Pioneers are enjoying their best season in a decade.
"Hey, I'd still play if I could," Mike Gillin said. "No one loves football more than I do."
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