To find the true measure of Tom Weathers’ coaching success, look past the on-field wins and losses.
As impressive as his resumé was, the most remarkable aspect of a career that spanned four decades are the dozens of former players who were inspired by him to become men of influence as coaches themselves.
Weathers, the legendary former Red Bank High School football coach, died Wednesday evening at the age of 80 after a lengthy illness.
“Any time somebody talks about a person in this context, they say ‘Words can’t express what they meant to me,’ so I jotted down some words that do express what Coach Weathers meant to me,” said Ted Gatewood, a 1983 Red Bank graduate who played for Weathers, later was a head coach at Ooltewah and East Hamilton and currently is an assistant at Red Bank.
“The first word that comes to my mind is love. You don’t always connect that word with a football coach, but his love for everyone who played for him was unimaginable. He also set a great example of integrity and how to show others respect and compassion.