College Football HQ

Gary Gaines, Texas high school football coach made famous in "Friday Night Lights" has died

The famous "Friday Night Lights" coach was 73
James Parks|
Gary Gaines, Texas high school football coach made famous in "Friday Night Lights" has died
Gary Gaines, Texas high school football coach made famous in "Friday Night Lights" has died

Legendary Texas high school football coach Gary Gaines has died at the age of 73, his family announced.

Most famous for leading Odessa Permian to a state championship in 1989, Gaines was featured in the book and film "Friday Night Lights."

West Texas legend: Gaines spent most of his career in the west part of the state at both the high school and college levels, including stints as the linebackers coach at Texas Tech and head coach at Abilene Christian, going 21-30.

Friday Night Lights: Gaines' 1988 team at Permian was made famous by the best-selling book "Friday Night Lights" by Buzz Bissinger, and the coach was portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton in the 2004 film made from the book.

Gaines said he never read the book and that he felt betrayed by its author, who spent the entire 1988 season with the team.

Permian lost in the Texas state semifinals in 1988, the season the team lost star running back James "Boobie" Miles to a preseason knee injury. Miles' character was later featured prominently in the movie.

The book described how "For Sale" signs were placed on the front yard of Gaines' house after the '88 team failed to win the state championship.

Gaines led Permian to the fifth of the school's six state championships with a perfect season in 1989 before leaving for Texas Tech.

Gaines went 47-6-1 from 1986 to 1989 at Permian.

A big loss: "I just can't find the words to pay respects," retired coach Ron King, a former Permian assistant, told the Odessa American. 

"It's a big loss for the coaching profession. There are a lot of coaches he took under his wing and mentored."

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Facebook

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
James Parks
JAMES PARKS

James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.

Home/News