Jermain Knox: Beloved Trojan Black coach remembered as a 'rock' after he's shot dead in front of his team
CINCINNATI, OHIO: A youth football coach who was killed in front of his team after practice on Tuesday, October 18, was remembered by his students in a vigil on Wednesday, October 19. Jermain Knox was gunned down outside the College Hill Recreation Facility.
The 37-year-old was a familiar face in the College Hill community. The beloved coach was called 'King Maine' of the Trojan Black team. According to Cincinnati police, Knox was shot shortly after the final whistle and died on the spot in the 1700 block of Larch Avenue.
RELATED STORIES
'Cat and mouse game': Dads SHOOT each other’s daughters aged 5 and 14 in road rage incident
As per WLWT, another man was also shot, but escaped with non life threatening injuries. On October 19, family, friends, and young athletes came together for a vigil on the field where Knox coached. One person, who was present at the vigil, said, "He's going to be truly missed," adding, "Good man. I can't say anything bad about him because he didn't have a bad bone, and he had a good heart."
The coach was known for his love for the game, but his true passion was teaching the kids. As per the outlet, Knox not only taught them the skills to ace the game, but also counselled them on how to perform off the field. Another person said, "If you knew Maine, you knew he loved every last one of these kids," adding, "There isn't anything he wouldn't do for anyone."
He was known for his compassion and determination which led to his team's success in national-ranked youth football. A third person recalled, "The one thing about Jermaine, he loved this team with his heart and soul. I only got one wish for the Trojan Black organization: to keep it going the same way he would."
As the devastated community came together in honour of his memory, many say that his legacy will continue to live through his students. People also shared their personal experiences with the coach, lit candles, and released dozens of balloons into the sky. A well-wisher said, "He was the rock, but we're bringing this family, community, and everybody we are coming together."
A GoFundMe page was created to raise funds for the victim's family for funeral and living expenses for Knox's family. The description on the page read, "Jermaine more commonly known as Coach Maine started his Organization, Cincinnati Trojan Black Youth Association, with the sole purpose of creating a family organization. He did just that. Trojan Black(TB) is known as The Family Organization and this family has lost its Head and Heart!"
The page described Knox as "our President, our Brother, our Father, our Coach."
Sonya Knox, mother of the coach, wrote in a Facebook post, "I appreciate the concern over my son’s death. But as his mother I don’t want to hear any rumors about who killed my son. We are waiting on the police results."
The shooting is under investigation. Police are asking anyone with information on the suspects to call Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.