Tennessee’s all-time winningest prep football coach is on the move.
Gary Rankin announced Wednesday that he is stepping down as Boyd Buchanan’s head coach after four successful seasons with the Buccaneers.
“When I first came here, I guaranteed them four years, and that’s what we did,” Rankin said. “Today’s a pretty emotional day for me. It’s been a great ride the last four years at Boyd-Buchanan. I can’t thank our administration, athletic director, teachers, parents and students enough for their support of our program.
“I was hired to turn the program around, and it’s obvious that we did that, but it wasn’t easy. People think someone rides in on a white horse and saves the day, but there was a lot of hard work that went into getting the program where it is now. I did what I was hired to do, and now I’m just at the end of that time here. The program will be better off with new leadership.”
Rankin compiled a 43-7 overall record with the Bucs that included a TSSAA Division II-AA state runner-up finish in 2023. All but one of the Bucs’ past 35 wins came by double figures, but they have lost in the semifinals the past two seasons to the eventual state champions. Prior to that, Rankin had lost only twice in 25 previous trips to the semifinals.