Friday Night Lights fame Gary Gaines, who is also a coach of a Texas High School football team, has left us for heavenly abode, know his obituary and net worth
Gary passed away at the age of 73.
The tragic news of Gary’s death was confirmed by his family in a statement.
Coach Gary Gaines Of Friday Nights Fame Passed Away, Cause Of Death, Obituary, Biography, Age, Family, Career And Net Worth 2022
Cause of Gary’s Death
Former Monahans Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Gary Gaines passed away earlier today. Long before Friday Night Lights fame, Coach Gaines transformed Monahans Football into a West Texas powerhouse. Rest In Peace Coach Gaines. You are once again PERFECT. pic.twitter.com/i0XDYxmx6c
— LOBO SPORTS NETWORK (@LOBOES) August 23, 2022
BREAKING: Former Permian Coach Gary Gaines, made famous by Friday Night Lights, died this evening according to his family.
Gaines coached the Panthers to the state championship in 1989, the year after the season chronicled in the book and movie. #txhsfb pic.twitter.com/QZBJOHX8nR
— Jakob Brandenburg (@Jakob_BburgTV) August 23, 2022
In the statement, his family said that the former coach died on Monday, Aug 22, in Lubbock after battling 5-year with Alzheimer disease.
Through his coaching career, he made many breaks in West Texas but he was best known for a four-year brief tenure to lead a highly successful program at Odessa Permian.
A best-selling book author Buzz Bissinger wrote a book about Odessa’s 1988 team that depicted a program and school that prioritized football over academics and attributed racist comments to assistant coaches.
In 2004’s film ‘Friday Night Lights,’ Billy Bob Thornton portrayed the role of Gary Gaines, said in an interview that he never read the book and he felt betrayed by Bissinger.
In 1988, Odessa Permian lost in the semifinals after James ‘Boobie’ Miles suffered a knee injury. Miles’ character also played an important role in the film.
According to a report by the Associated Press, the book depicted scenes of ‘for sale’ signs being placed in Gaines’ front yard.
One year after the book and movie were published, the renowned coach led the team to the 5th of the program’s six state championships with a perfect season.
Later, he left to work as an assistant coach at Texas Tech before taking over as head coach of 2 Permian rivals, Abilene High and San Angelo Central.
After that he returned to college football as a head coach at Abilene Christian for 5 years. Back in 2009, he again went on to coach Permian for another 4 years.
Aside from being a coach, he also worked as an athletic director for school districts in Odessa and Lubbock.
For his contributions, back in July 2013, Gary was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. His net worth stood at $5 million.
Tributes Poured In
After learning the sad news of renowned coach’s death, a retired coach Ron King, a former Permian assistant, told the Odessa American publications that, “I just can´t find the words to pay respects.”
He further added, “It’s a big loss for the coaching profession. There are a lot of coaches he took under his wing and mentored.”
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