MMA Names New Recreation & Activities Specialist, Head Football and Baseball Coach

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) has selected Jimmy Peyton as the new recreation and activities specialist. He will also serve as head football coach and head baseball coach beginning the 2020 season. Peyton started working at the Mexico, Missouri, college preparatory military boarding school on January 23, 2020.

“Peyton’s successful and broad coaching experience and military instructor experience, make him a very strong addition to our team,” said Missouri Military Academy President Brigadier General Richard V. Geraci, USA (Ret). “He will be instrumental in delivering fun and challenging activities and building competitive football and baseball programs, to complement our military programs in developing young men into successful team members and leaders.”

Peyton holds a bachelor’s of science degree in leadership from Trident University. Prior to Trident, he was a student at Joliet Junior College, where he played as the school’s star quarterback for NJCAA Hall of Famer Bob MacDougall. At Joliet, Peyton holds the school’s all-time leading passer record and is the only quarterback in the school’s history to lead Joliet to a national championship.

At the collegiate level, Peyton has coached running backs at Garden City Community College, the defensive secondary at Kentucky Christian University, and running backs and wide receivers at Arizona Western College.

At the high school level, Peyton served as an offensive coordinator at South Point High School in Ohio, where he helped raise the football program to a 3-0 start for the first time in over 15 years. Under his guidance, he also instituted a strength conditioning program that proved vital to his players’ overall performance. Prior to South Point, Peyton served as quarterback coach and pass-game coordinator for Indian River High School in New York. During this period, the school experienced their best season in history and won their first state championship.

Peyton served in the U.S. Army for nearly nine years and was honorably discharged as a staff sergeant. Throughout his multiple overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, Peyton’s military assignments included serving in the 1-89 Cavalry and 3-71 Cavalry. He was also an instructor at 10^th Mountain Division Light Fighters School, Air Assault School and Rappel Masters School; and taught Mountain Leaders Advanced Rifle Marksmanship.

Peyton graduated from Pathfinder School, Air Assault School, Rappel Master School, the Army Basic Instructor Course, the Protective Services Detachment Course, the Warrior Leader Course and the Advanced Leaders Course. Peyton’s awards and decorations include two Army Commendation Medals, two Army Achievement Medals, and the Combat Action Badge.

He and his wife, Megan, have one son, James.