Gordon Perry, the former Trigg County football coach who went on to further success in Brownsville, Tennessee, died at his home on September 7 at the age of 88.
Perry came to Western Kentucky from Florida, where he attended Murray State University and lettered in football and track.
He served two years in the Army at Fort Bragg, NC, in the 82nd Airborne Division and continued his dedication to service for 19 years in the Army Reserve and National Guard. He was activated for Desert Storm from 1989 to 1990.
Perry was named Trigg County’s football coach in 1963. His first team was 3-7, but improved to 7-3-1 in 1964, which included the school’s first-ever win over Caldwell County.
In 1965, Trigg County was 6-2-1, which included a win over Christian County.
After a three-year record of 16-12-2, Perry moved to Brownsville, Tennessee, where he was named the assistant football and head track coach at Haywood County.
He moved into administration in 1969 and was named principal of the school in 1977, a position he held until his retirement in 1999.
Under his leadership, Haywood County High School was recognized as one of the ten best high schools in the state in 1988 and achieved recognition from the U.S. Department of Education as a school of excellence in 1986.
Perry was inducted into the Halls of Fame of both the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association and his alma mater, Boca Ciega High School.
Gordon’s brother Buddy was a long-time football coach and athletic director at Trigg County High School. In 1987, the brothers arranged for the Trigg County boys’ basketball game to play in a two-day event at Haywood County, along with Memphis White Station and Oldham County. During a practice session, some of the Trigg County players got a first look at a lanky middle school player shooting hoops in the gym named Tony Delk, who went on to star at the University of Kentucky and the NBA.
A memorial visitation will be held at the John B. Hooper Memorial Stadium next to the Gordon Perry Field House, in Brownsville, on Thursday, September 18, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Another visitation will take place at the First United Methodist Church in Brownsville on Friday, September 19, from 10:00 AM until 11:00 AM, before a Memorial Service that will begin at 11:00 AM.
