Gary Gaines, a renowned Texas high school football head coach, passed away on Monday at the age of 73, as per the statement released by his family.
Gaines was most known for guiding Odessa Permian to a state championship in 1989. His coaching career lasted four decades, and he served at the high schools and two college levels in West Texas.
He was one of the central characters in H.G. Bissinger’s 1990 bestseller “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream,” detailing Permian’s 1988 campaign and West Texas’s football-obsessed culture.
What Happened To Coach Gary Gaines? Death At Age 73 Saddens All
Gary Gaines, the former Permian football head coach, passed away unexpectedly on Monday night. As per mrt.com, he struggled with a protracted battle with Alzheimers.
On 23 August, CBS7News anchor Jakob Brandenburg reported the sad news on Twitter. He penned it, “Coach Gary Gaines, made famous by Friday Night Lights, died this evening.”
Since it was confirmed that he had left this world, his admirers and former teammates had paid respect to him.
“I did a story in 2004 about the “Friday Night Lights” movie coming out and how it compared to the book,” HoustonChron super utilityman Greg Rajan wrote, “Gary Gaines was very gracious despite it being something he’d discussed countless times for a decade, Rest In Peace.”
ACU Football community expressed their sorrow on the tragedy and condolences to Gary’s family during this hard time. The club tweeted, “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Texas coaching legend Gary Gaines, who gave his five years at the helm of the Wildcat program.”
Friday Night Lights Star Coach Gary Gaines Net Worth Might Surprise You
Gary Gaines’ net worth is estimated to be around 5 million dollars, considering his decades of coaching career.
Crane-born Gaines began his career in high school at Petersberg High School and spent 35 years working in the field.
Later, he became the head coach at Denver City High School, Amarillo Tascosa High School, Monahans, Abilene High School, and San Angelo Central High School.
He remained an assistant coach under Head Coach John Willins at Permian High School in Odessa for three years, from 1979 to 1981.
Moreover, he gave speeches about teamwork, leadership, winning, and achievement on and off the field to high schools and colleges across the nation.
In 2013, the well-liked head coach Gaines’ name was listed on the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. Similarly, he was inducted into the 2019 Angelo State University Hall of Honor.
Talking about his post-coaching career, he served for Ector County Independent School District, as the athletic director, in 2005. Also, he was hired for the same position for the Lubbock Independent School District in 2007.
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Permian Football Coach Gary Gaines Salary And Coaching Career
Gary Gaines must have had an annual salary between $35,000 to $45000 as a football head coach with decades of experience in this career.
The official sites have yet to verify his exact amount of earnings. Nevertheless, the average salary of an American high school football coach is $42,675 and $3,556 per month, as reported by ZipRecruiter.
In his initial days, he served as the linebackers coach for three seasons at Texas Tech.
During his five seasons at Tech, the Red Raiders had a 27-30 record and competed in two bowl games, including the one from 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Then, he moved to Abilene High School as the head coach after leaving Texas Tech in the 1994 season.
In January 2000, he was named the 17th head football coach of Abilene Christian University in Abilene, Texas. At the end of the 2004 season, Coach Gary compiled a five-season overall record of 21-30.
Under his leadership, the Wildcats recorded a 6-4 win and claimed the Lone Star Conference South Division Championship in 2000.
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Coach Gary Gaines Wife Sharon Gaines And His Family In Grief- Where Are They Now?
Football head coach Gary Gaines was married to Sharon Gaines. The pair shared two adult children and five grandkids.
At the moment, the Gaines family has requested privacy in this trying time as they grieve the loss of Gary. His funeral arrangements have not yet been arranged.
The 73-year-old is survived by his wife and children. May God give Gary’s family the strength to deal with their loss.
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