RANKIN ENSHRINED IN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME
Shea Haile Carthage Courier
With 17 state championships and 486 wins on the gridiron, Tennessee high school football coaching great Gary Rankin has been a mainstay on the state’s big stage.
Last Monday night, the former Smith County High coach and Tennessee’s winningest high school football coach was spotlighted on the national stage. Rankin was honored as an inductee into the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) National High School Sports Hall of Fame.
Rankin has a staggering overall coaching record of 486-85 which ranks fourth nationally among active coaches and seventh all-time according to the NFHS National High School Sports Record Book.
The National High School Sports Hall of Fame recipient has averaged a mere two losses a year during his 42 year career.
NFHS held their 41st Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Monday, July 1st in Boston.
“It was probably one of the most impressive events I have attended for sure,” said Rankin a 1971 graduate from Carthage High School who began his head coaching career at his alma mater in 1982.
“I got a call around six months ago that I was going to be nominated and it was a pretty good chance that I might get in. I was aware of the NFHS National Hall of Fame but I had really never looked at it.”
Rankin continued, “Once I got the call, I did some research and it really hit me how big of a situation, how big of an event it was and what kind of an honor it would be. It was something that was surprising at first. There was only 14 people from Tennessee in that fraternity previously. It is an exclusive group to be in.”
The National Hall of Fame now includes 15 members from the state of Tennessee.
Previous inductees from the Volunteer State include: Coaches – Barbara Campbell, Rick Insell, Catherine Neely, Lamar Rogers, Jim Smiddy, Buck Van Huss and Boyce Smith. Officials Bill Pack, Billy Schrivner and Ralph Stout — were also selections to the National Hall of Fame. Tennessee is also represented in the prestigious group by administrator Ronnie Carter and athletes Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Nikki McCray-Penson and Steve Spurrier.
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