Legendary High School Football Coach Dead at 83 Years Old

A legendary high school football coach from the state of Georgia has died at the age of 83.

Thomas "T" McFerrin has died after a lengthy illness. He won two state championships and over 340 games during his career, and McFerrin also led seven different schools to regional championships.

He remains the only coach in the history of Georgia high school football to take four different teams to the state finals.

McFerrin played defensive back at Murfreesboro High in Tennessee and began his college football career at Millsaps College. He would later transfer to Middle Tennessee, where he earned a degree in history while also lettering in tennis.

He also earned a master's degree in history at Florida State University before beginning his coaching career. McFerrin's first head coaching position was at Lithonia High School in 1968. He took them from 1-9 to 8-1-1 in his first season, setting a standard for the work he would accomplish later in his career.

Peachtree, Tucker, Elbert County, South Gwinnett, and Jefferson High Schools were among the teams he coached, and McFerrin helped lead all of them to state or regional glory after taking over dormant programs.

McFerrin would win his first Georgia state title in 1995 with Elbert County, and he won his final title in 2012 with Jefferson for his final season. Both instances were the school's first state championship.

"Georgia’s greatest high school football coach was about far more than just winning games. The life lessons he taught will live on through the thousands of people who had the privilege of knowing and learning from him," Jefferson High said in a statement about McFerrin.

McFerrin had a 341-101-4 record for his entire career, and he's been inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association and Georgia Sports Halls of Fame after retirement.

In addition to football, McFerrin also coached tennis, wrestling, volleyball while assisting in both basketball and baseball.

"Coach McFerrin was a legend, both throughout Georgia and in the field of high school athletics," said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

"His impact will not only live on through his incredible record, but even more so through the generations of athletes who stepped off of his field as better men because of his influence. Marty, the girls, and I are praying for his loved ones during this time of mourning."

Rest in peace to Coach T. McFerrin. Our condolences are with his family, friends, loved ones and former players during this difficult time.