According to a statement that was distributed by his family, well-known Texas high school football head coach Gary Gaines passed away on Monday at the age of 73. He had served in that capacity for many years.
The achievement that brought Gaines the greatest notoriety was leading Odessa Permian to a state championship in 1989. His career as a coach spanned four decades, during which time he worked at the high school and two college levels in the state of West Texas.
In the best-selling book “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream” written by H.G. Bissinger in 1990, he had a pivotal role as one of the main protagonists. The book chronicles Permian’s 1988 campaign and the culture of football in West Texas.
What Exactly Occurred To Gary Gaines, The Coach? Everyone Is Disappointed by the Death at Age 73
On Monday evening, Gary Gaines, who had previously served as the head football coach at Permian, passed away suddenly. According to mrt.com, he fought an uphill battle against Alzheimer’s disease for a long time.
On the 23rd of August, Jakob Brandenburg, an anchor for CBS7News, shared the unfortunate news on Twitter. He wrote, “Coach Gary Gaines, made famous by Friday Night Lights, passed away last evening.”
After it was established that he had departed this world, those who admired him and those who had played with him in the past had paid their respects to him.
“I did a report in 2004 on the “Friday Night Lights” movie coming out and how it compared to the novel,” HoustonChron super utilityman Greg Rajan wrote. “Gary Gaines was incredibly polite despite the fact that it was something he’d talked countless times for the previous decade, Rest In Peace.”
The ACU Football community has shared their condolences with Gary’s family and expressed their sadness over the tragic event that occurred. The club expressed their sorrow over the loss of Texas coaching legend Gary Gaines in a tweet, saying, “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Texas coaching legend Gary Gaines, who contributed his five years at the head of the Wildcat team.”
It Might Come as a Surprise to Learn How Much Friday Night Lights Star Coach Gary Gaines Makes
Because of his lengthy career as a coach spanning multiple decades, Gary Gaines is thought to have a net worth of approximately 5 million dollars.
Gaines, who was born in Crane and attended Petersberg High School, launched his professional life and spent the next 35 years working in the industry.
In later years, he held the position of head coach at Denver City High School, Amarillo Tascosa High School, Monahans, Abilene High School, and San Angelo Central High School, among other schools.
Between the years 1979 and 1981, he remained at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas, in the role of an assistant coach under the direction of the school’s head coach, John Willins.
In addition, he addressed audiences in secondary schools and higher education institutions all around the country, talking about the importance of teamwork, leadership, and success both on and off the field.
Gaines, a well-liked head coach who was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2013, was recognized for his accomplishments. In a similar vein, he was admitted into the Hall of Honor at Angelo State University for the 2019 academic year.
When asked about his job after coaching, he mentioned that in 2005 he worked as the athletic director for the Ector County Independent School District. In addition to this, the Lubbock Independent School District employed him in 2007 for the same post that he currently has.
The Pay Scale of Permian Football Coach Gary Gaines, as well as His Career in Coaching
Given his decades of experience in the field of football coaching, Gary Gaines likely earned a compensation that ranged from $35,000 to $45,000 year in his role as head coach.
It has not yet been verified by the official website just how much money he has made. According to data provided by ZipRecruiter, the annual compensation of an American high school football coach is a respectable $42,675, with a monthly salary of $3,556.
In the beginning of his career, he worked at Texas Tech as a coach for three seasons, where he was in charge of the linebackers.
The Red Raiders finished with a record of 27-30 during his five years as head coach at Tech and participated in two bowl games during that time, including the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1995.
Following his departure from Texas Tech in the middle of the 1994 season, he took the head coaching position at Abilene High School.
In January of 2000, he was given the position of being Abilene Christian University’s 17th head football coach. The university is located in Abilene, Texas. After the conclusion of the 2004 season, Coach Gary has a cumulative record of 21-30 for the previous five seasons.
In the year 2000, the Wildcats triumphed over their opponents by a score of 6-4 and took home the championship for the South Division of the Lone Star Conference.
Where Are Coach Gary Gaines’ Wife Sharon Gaines and the Rest of His Family Now That They Are Grieving?
Gary Gaines, the head coach of the football team, was married to Sharon Gaines. The couple was co-parents to two grown children and five grandchildren.
As they go through this difficult period, the Gaines family has asked to be left alone at this difficult time as they grieve the loss of Gary. The preparations for his funeral are not complete at this time.
The man was 73 years old when he passed away, and he is survived by his wife and children. I pray that God will give Gary’s family the fortitude they need to get through this difficult time.
A career in coaching
Gaines coached high school football in West Texas for a total of 30 seasons at a variety of different high schools. After beginning his teaching career in 1971 at Fort Stockton High School, he taught high school for a period of five years at Monahans High School. The year 1977 marked his first year serving as head coach at Petersburg High School. After that, he would go on to become the head football coach at Denver City High School in 1978, Amarillo Tascosa High School in 1982, Monahans from 1983 to 1985, Abilene High School from 1994 to 1995, and San Angelo Central High School in 1995. (1996-1999).
Odessa Permian
Gaines achieved the greatest amount of success during his time at Permian High School, which is located in Odessa, Texas. Between the seasons of 1979 and 1981, he worked under the direction of Head Coach John Wilkins as an assistant coach throughout those three years. In 1980, Permian’s coaching staff, which included Gaines, led the school to the 5A state championship in Texas.
Gaines came back to Permian as head coach after Wilkins stepped down at the end of the 1985 season and took over a program that had competed in the state title game for the 5A division the previous two years in a row. (In 1984, the game ended in a 21-21 tie, and both Permian High School and Beaumont French High School were crowned co-champions. However, in 1985, Permian High School and Beaumont French High School were defeated by Houston Yates High School.
Gaines was one of the main characters in the book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger, which was published in 1990. The book told the story of the 1988 football season at Permian High School and the football-obsessed culture of West Texas. The following year, Gaines led Permian to a perfect 16-0 season and the 1989 5A state championship under the helm of the head coaching position. Gaines left Permian after the 1989 season, having compiled a record of 46-7-1 during his time there.
Go back to the Permian period
After Darren Allman’s departure to Austin Westlake, Permian High School made the announcement on March 9, 2009 that Gaines would be taking over as the school’s head coach. Since Gaines had left Permian, the passage of time had passed 20 years, and it had been 10 years since he had coached high school football. The Panthers finished with a record of 23-21 over the course of four seasons, with only one victory coming in the postseason. This was not enough for them to replicate the success that Gaines had in the 1980s. Gaines stepped down from his position as head coach at the end of the 2012 season and stated his intention to retire from the coaching profession. Gaines compiled a record of 69-28-1 during his time as head coach at Permian, which is part of his overall record of 127-93-5 during his time as a head coach for a total of 20 seasons.
Coaching at College Level
After the conclusion of the 1989 season, Gaines accepted his first college coaching position and was hired by Texas Tech University to work as the linebackers coach under the direction of head coach Spike Dykes. (During the early 1980s, when Gaines was an assistant coach at Permian High School, Dykes was the head coach of Permian’s rival school Midland Lee High School.)
During his five years as head coach at Texas Tech, the Red Raiders combined for a record of 27-30 and participated in two bowl games, one of which was the 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic.
Gaines resigned from his position as head coach at Texas Tech at the conclusion of the 1994 season and accepted the same position at Abilene High School.
Abilene Christian
In January of 2000, Gaines was given the position of 17th head football coach at Abilene Christian University, which is located in Abilene, Texas.
[9] During the first two seasons of Gaines’ tenure at ACU, the school struggled mightily and ended up losing 17 of 21 games. In spite of the difficulties experienced early on, the Wildcats were able to rebound in 2002, compiling a winning record of 6-4 and winning the Lone Star Conference South Division Championship. This was the first championship of any kind for the Wildcats since 1977, when they won their lone and only Lone Star Conference Championship. Gaines decided to step down as head coach after finishing the 2004 campaign with a record of 21-30 overall.