ALCOA, Tenn. — A former East Tennessee coach is getting national attention. Gary Rankin is the winningest high school football coach in Tennessee history, and he's now been inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Boston.
Rankin has 486 victories in 42 years at four schools in Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee and spent much of his career at Alcoa High School, bringing home 13 state titles during his 16-season run with the team from 2006 to 2022.
His impact didn't stop on the field though. Former players and staff said Rankin was so much more than a coach.
“If anybody is worthy, he is so worthy,” said Rebecca Stone, the Alcoa City Schools Director.
“You can see from his recent induction, he's one of the best to ever do it,” said Jake Warwick, a former high school football player.
“I just really feel like I learned a lot from playing from him, and he helped me a lot throughout my career,” said Lance Williams, a former Alcoa High School player who now plays at Virginia Tech.
Rankin likens coaching to activities like golf or running.
“Or some of those things people say gets in your blood,” Rankin said. “And it certainly got in my blood.”
Around four decades into a coaching career, Rankin has the accolades to prove it. He was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame in 2011, the Tennessee Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2018 and now, the National High School Hall of Fame.
Rankin said something he’s most proud of “is just the kids that's come through our program.”
“I see them now, and they're grown young men, and they've got children, and they're successful,” Rankin said. “They're a vital part of this community, and that's part of our job as educators, not just coaches, but educators and coaches and, you know, trying to raise kids to get out and be successful in their line of work and in their community. And that's probably one of my greatest satisfactions, is seeing those people come back and hopefully something we said or did during their tenure here at Alcoa, you know, made a difference in their life.”
Former players like Warwick, who played under Rankin from 2011 to 2014 at Alcoa High School and then worked on his coaching staff, also acclaimed him.
“People don't understand how good of a person he is, not just a ball coach, but just as a man too,” said Warwick, a current coach at Alcoa High School.
“He's what it's all about,” Stone said about Rankin, who she’s worked with for years. “He's that kind of guy that you want your kid to be around. He models that. He walks that walk.”
When it comes to her relationship with Rankin, Stone likens the coach to “a brother I never had.” While Rankin might be known for his tough exterior, Stone said there’s more than meets the eye.
“I don't know I've ever laughed so hard as I did some of the times that I had at the high school with him and our group of folks there,” Stone said. “Gary Rankin is soft as butter. He probably doesn't want everybody to know that, but he is.”
As for Rankin, he shares that familial feeling.
“Alcoa is a little bit different,” Rankin said. “You work in these places and, you know, you almost develop family.”
A true family man, Rankin said his proudest career accomplishment was on the Alcoa High School football field.
“All my kids were on this field right here, at one time,” Rankin said. “At one time, three of them were out here at one time: one of them was waterboy, one of them was cheerleading and one of them was playing.”
Rankin’s impact is long-lasting, Stone said.
“You can't talk about Alcoa football without hearing Gary Rankin's name,” she said. “He didn't grow up here, but he certainly, when he left, he left a piece of himself here.”
Rankin retired from his position at Alcoa High School in 2022, deciding to move to Chattanooga to spend time with his grandchildren.
Now, he coaches at Boyd Buchanan, a private Christian school. All his experience together has earned him the accolade, which was presented in the form of a plaque and a medal at the ceremony on Monday night.
“Last night was probably one of the most impressive things I've ever been around,” Rankin said. “You're talking about choosing out of millions and millions of coaches and administrators and different people. So it's a pretty tough club to get in. There's so many great people out there that probably deserve to be in there, but it was a great honor, something I cherish.”
When it comes to Rankin’s key to success, he chalks it up to a few different qualities and tactics.
“I always try to hire people better than me … That's really one of my keys, I think, is to get good people working with our kids and have some kind of basic philosophy about how you're going to do things,” Rankin said. “Just being yourself and being honest with people. I mean, it's a relationship business, and probably no difference in any other business, you got to treat people like they want to be treated. You’ve got to expect and have high expectations if that's what you want in your program.”
The National High School Hall of Fame is administered through the National Federation of State High School Associations, which is headquartered in Indianapolis. According to the NFHS, a list showing all members of the Hall of Fame is displayed in the foyer of the NFHS building.