Longtime Metro high school and Fisk coach LeMore McGill died Tuesday.
Lemore McGill, left, works with one of his players at old Cohn High in 1995.
LeMore McGill, who played on one of the last Fisk football teams and then spent 40 years coaching in Nashville, died Tuesday. He was 65.
McGill played football and baseball at old Pearl High and Fisk.
He then coached at Fisk, Pearl and five other high schools from 1972-2012.
A highlight of McGill’s career came when he led the Hillsboro girls basketball team to the 2008-09 state championship.
“He taught us basically how to play basketball,” said Jessica Pace, the most valuable player of the 2008-09 state tournament. “Without Coach McGill there wouldn’t have been a state championship team. Everything that he taught us could be attributed to his character. That showed through that team throughout that whole entire year. He taught each one of us to be hard working on and off the court and honest in every aspect of our lives.”
McGill was inducted into the Metro Nashville Interscholastic Basketball Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
Along with basketball, McGill coached football, volleyball and baseball.
McGill began his career as a student assistant coach at Fisk in 1972. He then coached at Pearl (1974-80), got his first girls basketball head coaching opportunity at Antioch (1980-84) and then went to Hillsboro (1984-89), returned to Fisk as the head coach (1989-93), went back to Hillsboro (1993-96), Maplewood (1996-2003), Hillsboro (2003-09), Hunters Lane (2009-10), Mt. Juliet (2010-11) and then Maplewood again (2011-12).
“LeMore was a very dedicated father to his family and also to his coaching profession,” said Luis Del Rio, who coached with McGill at Antioch. “We went to many (Women’s Basketball Coaches Association) Final Fours together and he always brought his wife (Carolyn) son (LeBrian) and daughter (Courtney) with him so they could be a part of his profession. He was always with a smile on his face, but could put his game face (on) when the time came. He knew the game and was very good at schemes during the game.”
A visitation is scheduled for noon-1:15 p.m Saturday at Schrader Lane Church of Christ with the funeral at 1:15 p.m.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
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