A career defined by immense success is being highlighted with a pair of incredible recent achievements.
Gary Partrick, who has coached nearly every sport offered at more than a half-dozen area high schools, will be part of this year’s Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame induction class.
Partrick, who has worked at Baylor for the past 23 years, was also recently included in the MaxPreps list of “greatest high school coaches in every sport right now” as the nation’s top coach for girls’ golf.
“You can’t accomplish anything without good players, and I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of those,” said Partrick, who also was named the TSSAA Distinguished Service Award recipient last August. “Golf isn’t a big deal at a lot of places, but it is at Baylor. There’s a long history of winning, so I’m just trying to continue the tradition with the program.
“I was honored to be voted the best player in the city and make all-state when I was in school, but to be named the best at what you do in the country, knowing there are a lot of coaches out there, that was something that I have to admit was pretty cool.
“The call about the Hall of Fame was totally unexpected. All of it is just very humbling.”
Partrick, the area’s only prep coach of the year honoree in four sports — baseball, football and boys’ and girls’ golf — will be one of 19 new inductees into the Greater Chattanooga Sports Hall of Fame next month. Tickets for the March 13 induction banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center are $50 and on sale at chatthalloffame.org, and tables seating eight can be reserved for $400. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the banquet begins at 6.
Six other special award winners will also be recognized at the event.
Former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and current New England Patriots offensive lineman Cole Strange and former Bradley Central and current Atlanta Dream star Rhyne Howard will be recognized as area athletes of the year. Brenda Lawson will receive the prestigious Presidents Award, Tim James and Carlene Ryon will be honored for lifetime achievement and service and Meigs County senior Tylan Kraskouskas for overcoming adversity.
In addition to Patrick for golf, the 19 inductees include teammates from Central High’s 1985 state championship baseball team, David Owen and Chris Richardson. Owen pitched several years in the Boston Red Sox organization, while Richardson went on to a notable prep coaching career.
Others are Brandon Born and Orlando Lightfoot for men’s basketball, Jody Adams and Venus Lacy for women’s basketball, Joe Smith for boxing, Durward Higgins for cycling, Chris White for football, Curtis Blair for soccer, Nelson Thoresen for softball, Vista Anne Scruggs Mahan for swimming, Arleen Hale Hughes and Priscilla Robinson Murray for volleyball and Brad Jackson for wrestling. Doug Dennett and Doug Roy are going in as officials and administrators, and Todd Agne is the media inductee.
Partrick began helping with Baylor’s offseason program for boys’ and girls’ golf from 2006-08 and was an assistant coach in 2008 when both teams won state championships. He was named head coach in 2009, and since then the Lady Red Raiders have won six state titles (2009, ’10, ’12, ’13, ’20, ’21) and the boys have won five (2012, ’15, ’18, ’20, ’21).
In December 2021, both Baylor teams were ranked by the National High School Golf Association as the nation’s No. 1 program.
A 1979 Red Bank graduate who played five sports (baseball, basketball, cross country, football and golf), Partrick was a first-team all-state receiver in 1978 after helping the Lions to a state runner-up finish.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.
