Gary Gaines obit

Legendary Permian coach Gary Gaines dies at 73

Gaines coached the Panthers to the state championship in 1989, the year after the season chronicled in the book and movie.

 

He was not on the list.

Gaines coached the Panthers to the state championship national championship in 1989, the year after the season chronicled in the book and movie.

He returned to Permian as the head coach from 2009-2012.

Other coaching stops included Monahans, San Angelo Central, and Texas Tech.

His family released a statement saying, “Following a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease, it is with great sadness that the family of Coach Gary Gaines announces his peaceful passing this afternoon. Memorial plans will be announced in the coming days. Thank you for remembering our family in your thoughts and prayers.”

Coach Gaines is survived by his wife Sharon Gaines, and children Bradley Gaines and Nicole Gaines Strader.

Gary Gaines, who was the legendary Texas high school football coach portrayed in the book and movie "Friday Night Lights," has died at the age of 73. According to a statement from Gaines' family, he died on Monday following a length battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Gaines is best known for his stint at Odessa Permian in the late 1980s despite coaching for over 30 years at other schools. Gaines' 1988 team was profiled in Buzz Bissinger's book, which showcased how important high school football was in West Texas.

Gaines, who was played by actor Billy Bob Thornton in the 2004 film, stated that he never read Bissinger's book after being betrayed by the author for the way his 1988 team was portrayed.

In 1988, Odessa Permian lost in the state semifinals in a season where the team's star running back, James "Boobie" Miles, got hurt during a preseason scrimmage. In the movie, Miles was shown getting hurt during the season.

The legendary coach also had stints at Abilene High and San Angelo Central following Permian. In 2000, Gaines moved onto the college ranks as he served as the head coach at Abilene Christian for five seasons. Following a 21-30 record over that in stretch, Gaines resigned as the Abilene Christian head coach at the conclusion of the 2004 season.

In 2009, Gaines returned to become the head coach at Permian once again. Gaines remained in that post until the conclusion of the 2012 season when he announced his retirement from coaching.

Gaines put together a 127-93-5 record in his 20 seasons as a head coach, including going 69-28-1 at Permian. He led the Panthers to six state championships during his time at the school, including a perfect 1989 season. After the 1989 season, Gaines took an assistant coaching job at Texas Tech.

Gaines gained his most notoriety from his time at Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. He spent three years as an assistant coach under Head Coach John Wilkins from 1979 through the 1981 season. With Gaines on staff, Permian won the Texas 5A state championship in 1980.

Following Wilkins' retirement after the 1985 season, Gaines returned to Permian as head coach, taking over a team that had made back-to-back 5A state championship games that had resulted in a tie to Beaumont French High School (in 1984, state football ended with no overtime, thus resulting in a 21–21 tie) and lost to Houston Yates in 1985.

Gaines was one of the featured characters in H.G. Bissinger's 1990 book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream, which chronicled Permian's 1988 season and the football crazed culture of West Texas. The following season, Gaines coached Permian to a perfect 16–0 season and the 1989 5A state championship. Gaines left Permian following the 1989 season, compiling a 46–7–1 record.[

Following the 1989 season, Gaines accepted his first college coaching job, getting hired as the linebackers coach Texas Tech University under head coach Spike Dykes. (Dykes was the head coach of Permian rival Midland Lee High School when Gaines was an assistant at Permian in the early 1980s.) In his five seasons at Tech, the Red Raiders had a record of 27–30 and appeared in two bowl games, including the 1995 Cotton Bowl Classic. Following the 1994 season, Gaines left Texas Tech and became the head coach at Abilene High School from 1994 to 1995 and at Central High School from 1996 to 1999.

Gaines was named the 17th head football coach at Abilene Christian University (ACU) in Abilene, Texas, in January 2000.[9] In his first two seasons, ACU struggled under Gaines, losing 17 of 21 games. Despite the early struggles, the Wildcats rebounded in 2002, posting a winning record at 6–4 and winning the Lone Star Conference South Division Championship, the Wildcats' first championship of any kind since their only Lone Star Conference Championship in 1977. Gaines resigned at the conclusion of the 2004 season with an overall record of 21–30.