Milan football stadium to get renovations

MILAN, Tenn. — Johnnie Hale Stadium is getting a makeover.

Retired Milan head football coach Jeff Morris says the renovation is long overdue.

“I’ve been in Milan now for 25 years, and when I first became coach at Milan, the stadium was in need of renovation at that point,” Morris said.

The Milan Special School District has a list for the remodel.

“The bleachers at the high school on both the home and the visitors’ side need some attention, and ultimately it comes down to a safety issue,” Milan Director of Schools Johnathan Criswell said. “So we want to make sure that our fans are safe when they come to visit on Friday night or for any other community function.”

The district has other ideas and wants community input.

“We’re going to look at concession stand placement, bleachers, field replacement, locker rooms and all of that,” Criswell said.

The remodel is more than just a much needed face lift or safety issue.

“There’s a lot of history of winning at the stadium, and it’s the centerpiece of the community here, and so we’re very excited to provide our community the opportunity to give that input,” Criswell said.

Criswell says the district wants to use private, corporate and taxpayer funds to pay for the renovation.

Morris says he is looking forward to the makeover.

“It will be somewhat of a source of pride for me,” Morris said. “I hoped to see that sometime during my 10 years head coaching here at Milan, but I’ll just be very proud to sit up there. I’m a lifelong Bulldog supporter.”

The goal to start renovation is at the end of the upcoming football season, and the projected completion is fall 2020.