A native of Shelby, Don Patrick has built a tremendous record as a coach and athletic administrator, primarily at Newton-Conover High School. A 1968 graduate of Appalachian State University, where he played baseball and served as president of the student body, Patrick was an assistant football and head baseball coach at Wilkes Central and also…
A 1964 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College, where he played on an NAIA national championship football team, Marion Kirby has established himself as one of North Carolina’s top coaches. An all-state player in his hometown of Hickory, Kirby went on to graduate from L-R in 1964 after lettering four years in football. After a year as…
Bob Paroli is currently the winningest active head football coach in North Carolina in over 40 years of coaching. His coaching stops have included Benson (1958-64), Jacksonville (1964-65), New York Military Academy (1965-71), Wilson Fike (1971-76), Burlington Cummings (1976-80) and Fayetteville Douglas Byrd since 1980. He has compiled a brilliant record of 288-143-11 during that…
These two twin brothers have had tremendous impacts on athletics at many levels in North Carolina. The two were outstanding athletes at Apex High School and then graduated from North Carolina State University. They went on to make major contributions to high school officiating. Jim played minor league baseball over a 12-year period, with a…
Donna Norman has compiled an incredible record as a three-sport coach during her career at South Stokes High School. A graduate of Starmount High School and 1976 graduate of UNC-Greensboro, Norman's teams have been outstanding in volleyball, basketball and softball, although she is probably best known for her softball achievements. Her teams compiled a brilliant…
Jerry McGee is currently the executive director of the North Carolina Athletic Directors' Association and has enjoyed an outstanding career in both coaching and administration. A 1961 graduate of Duke University, McGee was successful at both the high school and college football coaching levels. He was head coach and athletic director at Edenton Holmes (1962-66)…
Paul Jones, winning basketball teams and Kinston High School became synonymous during this outstanding coach's career. Born in Thomasville and a 1955 graduate of East Carolina, Jones coached from 1957 through 1995 at Kinston, rolling up 662 victories against 274 defeats. That 38-season stint included 18 conference championships, two NCHSAA state titles and four state…
Babe Howell enjoyed a career as one of the state’s most successful high school football and baseball coaches in a 40-year coaching career. Born in Monroe and a graduate of Western Carolina University, Howell spent 24 years at Sylva-Webster High, which later was consolidated into Smoky Mountain. Counting eight years as a head coach in…
Mary Garber was a true pioneer in the media field. Mary moved from the society pages to the sports section back in 1944 during World War II with the Twin City Sentinel in Winston-Salem, and began over half a century of involvement as a sports journalist, one of the first female sports writers in the…
One of the best friends which high school athletics has had in North Carolina is Dr. Craig Phillips. A graduate of Chapel Hill High and UNC, Phillips taught and coached at Gray High in Winston-Salem. He had a stint as an elementary school principal and the served as superintendent of the Winston-Salem City Schools. From there…
