Thank You Coach Gray

Life is short and fragile.  You don’t realize that until you get older and start losing your loved ones.

At least I didn’t.  I write this column on Sunday morning after finding out former Lady Tiger coach Donnie Gray lost his battle with cancer.

I’ve known Donnie for what feels like my entire life, and you can always say that you got what you saw with Donnie.

While creating Legends Hall, Mike White and I went to Donnie and Beverly’s home at Paces Creek to see what they would allow us to use in the museum.

Coach Gray was so excited that something like this would be created to honor the rich tradition of Clay County basketball.  

They displayed everything as we walked in the door and told us to take whatever we wanted.

Spending a few hours with them and walking down memory lane was great.

While there, Coach Gray showed me a spot on his shoulder he had removed as cancer.  We talked about that, and he became emotional.  

After being saved, Coach Gray was not the same hard-nosed man he was when he roamed the court.  He was much softer and gentler, and you could clearly see that.

I never dreamed I’d write this today, seven months later.

He was healthy.  He was vibrant.  He had a sparkle in his eye.

That’s how quickly life can change.

As we left, I spoke on the porch with his wife, Beverly. She told me he was worried about the diagnosis, which made me realize something. As a society, we often wait until it’s too late to show someone how much we appreciate them.

Work began immediately to name the court after Coach Gray. In retrospect, it was something that should have been done a long time ago.

At the time, nobody involved realized it was Donnie’s dream to one day have that court named after him.

With the support of Superintendent William Sexton, Athletic Director Tommy Nicholson, and CCHS principal Mike Gregory, the decision was made to name the court under one condition- it was a secret.

Everyone wanted it to be a surprise for Coach Gray, and it was.

He had been battling treatments, and his condition started becoming worse as the day approached to unveil the court.

On a cold Saturday, with only his family in attendance, Coach Gray was brought to the high school under the guise of helping with the new museum.

When he walked in and saw his family, he knew something was up.  He said to me, “What’s going on?”  I replied, “We’ve got something we all want to show you.”

This once hard-nosed, gritty man broke down in tears when he saw his name.

It was a surreal moment and one I will never forget.  Repeatedly, he said, “I never thought I’d see this happen.”

He told us he had promised to kiss the court one day if it was named after him. He was true to his word.

I’m glad we got to show Coach Gray how much he meant to our county, school, and basketball program.  We made him happy, and this life is all about showing kindness and letting others know how much you appreciate them.

Godspeed, Coach Gray, thank you for your memories and contributions.