MURFREESBORO – Gary Rankin isn’t ready to celebrate becoming the state’s all-time winningest football coach.
The former Riverdale coach has an 11th state championship to prepare for.
Rankin, who is in his ninth season at Alcoa in Blount County, has the Tornadoes playing for a 14th state championship today when they play Christ Presbyterian Academy in the Class 3A BlueCross Bowl at Tennessee Tech.
The last six Alcoa state titles have come under him.
“It’s really been kept low key, and I wanted it that way,” said Rankin, who surpassed the late Ken Netherland in last week’s state semifinal win over Chattanooga Notre Dame for most football wins. Rankin has a coaching record of 369-70. “We were in the semifinals, and now in the finals.
“I haven’t really sat back and reflected on it. I might after (the final). But I’m planning on coaching another six or eight years and hopefully we can continue to have good programs and good teams and make runs for a championship.”
Rankin’s record can be broken down in three locations. He began his coaching career at Smith County in Carthage where he went 58-32 from 1982-1989. He then went 194-25 at Riverdale from 1990-2005. And he is 117-13 at Alcoa.
He has averaged 11.2 wins a year in his 33-year coaching career. He went a string of 11 straight seasons from 2000-2010 with 11 straight semifinal appearances and had four 15-0 seasons in that span.
“That’s unheard of,” said Siegel coach Greg Wyant, who was an assistant under Rankin during his Riverdale tenure. “That’s 11 years in a row that his team practiced on Thanksgiving.”
Not bad for a coach that didn’t know if he would survive his first coaching stop after going 0-10 in his first season at Smith County.
“I was thinking how much longer can I last doing this,” Rankin said. “I didn’t have any idea that it would turn into this. I ask, ‘Why me sometimes.'”
‘We will win championships’
Former Riverdale principal Hulon Watson and Rankin still can remember their first face-to-face interaction.
It was at a Shoney’s in Murfreesboro. Rankin had driven down to Murfreesboro to meet the Riverdale principal. But when he arrived, the school was being lit by candlelight. A car accident had taken out the power to the school.
So in a booth at Shoney’s, Rankin began to make a believer in Watson that he could build Riverdale into a powerhouse.
Watson was searching for a replacement for Dean Fischer, whose Warrior teams had gone 10-30 in the previous three years combined before Rankin’s arrival.
Rankin, meanwhile had led Smith County to back-to-back 10-1 seasons.
“I just liked his background,” Watson said. “He played (at Smith County) and he coached there. He had also gone to Tennessee and had a background there. And I just liked his moxie.
“He was confident in his ability. He sold me that he could win championships. He made that comment on his first visit when he met with parents.
“He said, ‘We will win championships.'”
Rankin’s Riverdale teams won four Class 5A championships — in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2004. The Warriors went to nine championship games in Rankin’s 16-year tenure.
“Gary was always really quiet,” said Blackman coach Philip Shadowens, who coached against Rankin while at Smyrna. “I got to know him on another level because he was also my neighbor for a number of years. “He’d stop by occasionally. He’s a class guy.
“He tried to do things the right way. His teams were always prepared. When he was here people always said, ‘They are so much better than us.’ And they were.”
Rankin has had numerous assistants go on to head coaching positions, including Wyant and Oakland coach Thomas McDaniel.
“He’s a strong Christian, great father and a great role model for me,” McDaniel said. “I think the achievement is very much deserved. I’m just proud for him.”
Contact Tom Kreager at 615-278-5168 or tkreager@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kreager.
RANKIN’S RECORD
Former Riverdale football coach Gary Rankin became the state’s all-time winningest football coach a week ago with Alcoa’s 28-19 win over Chattanooga Notre Dame in the Class AAA state semifinals. His Alcoa team plays Christ Presbyterian Academy today in the BlueCross Bowl at Tennessee Tech’s Tucker Stadium. He has a 369-70 record (84 percent).
|
Years |
School |
Record |
|---|---|---|
|
1982-89 |
Smith County |
58-32 |
|
1990-2005 |
Riverdale |
194-25 |
|
2006-present |
Alcoa |
117-13 |
TOP 5 FOOTBALL COACHING WINS
Former Riverdale coach Gary Rankin became the state’s winningest football coach last week when he led Alcoa past Chattanooga Notre Dame.
|
Name |
Record |
|---|---|
|
1. Gary Rankin |
369-70 (84 percent) |
|
2. Ken Netherland |
368-131-13 (73 percent) |
|
3. Carlton Flatt |
355-68-3 (83 percent) |
|
4. John Tucker |
332-132-10 (71 percent) |
|
5. E.B. “Red” Etter |
324-102-12 (75 percent) |