ALCOA, Tenn. — Gary Rankin, Alcoa's winningest football coach is being inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame on Monday night. Rankin coached the Alcoa Tornadoes from 2006 to 2022.
Rankin brought home 13 state titles during his 16-season run with the team, which started in 2006.
His record was 215-21 during his time at Alcoa. While Rankin was head coach he also surpassed Ken Neatherland's winning record to become the winningest coach in Tennessee. He is also the first coach in the state to exceed 400 wins and is the longest-tenured coach at Alcoa.
Rankin left Alcoa in 2022 and took over as football coach at Boyd-Buchannan High School in Chattanooga where he still coaches. This past season, he led the team to their first playoff win since 2015 and their first state championship game appearance since 2009.
He started as a coach in 1982, at his Alma Mater in Smith County. Rankin also spent some time in Middle Tennessee too and coached the Murfreesboro Riverdale, where his record was 194-25.
Some numbers and facts about Rankin's career with Alcoa Football:
487: Career Wins; all-time Record of 487-83
127: Career Playoff Wins
42: Seasons as a head coach (2024 will be 43)
38: Playoff Appearances (including 33 consecutive appearances)
33: District/Region Championships
26: Semi-Final Appearances (24-2 all-time)
24: Title Game Appearances
17: State Championships