Football Coach and Hall of Fame Inductee David Gentry of Murphy High School in Murphy, North Carolina, has coached young players for 49 years.

I always enjoy sharing stories about outstanding football coaches. Here is one of the best coaches in the country: David Gentry of Murphy High School in Murphy, North Carolina.

David was born on May 6, 1946, in Asheville, Buncombe County, North Carolina. As a young man, he attended Edneyville High School in Edneyville, in his home state. There he was a four-sport athlete, playing running back and outside linebacker for the Edneyville Yellowjackets. He earned his college degree at Elon University, a private liberal arts college located in Elon, North Carolina.

David inaugurated his career as a football coach in 1971. In the 49 years that followed, he led his teams to capture eight state championships. His fellow coaches admire David’s accomplishments with the Murphy High Bulldogs. The stellar coach holds the state record for most wins at one school.  “He does it the old-fashioned way, and I admire that,” remarked Josh Brooks, coach at Franklin.  “I can’t wrap my mind around his numbers, and when you have won as much as he has at the level he has played against for that long, it’s really unbelievable,” Josh continued. At age 77, David is in his 36th year as a coach for the Bulldogs.

For his outstanding work on the field, David has been inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame. He has also garnered honors from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the Western North Carolina Hall of Fame. In addition, he was named the  National Federation of State High School Association’s National Coach of the Year in 2013.

To learn more about David Gentry, click on this link to USA’s Citizen Times.