Gary Pilling
Walker High School
Impact Statement
Pilling lead Walker High School to four consecutive State Championships and is continuing his success at Summit Christian High School.
Biography
“Gary Pilling is an outstanding example for successful high school tennis coaches,” NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. “They place a high value on the teamwork skills players learn for success in the classroom and on the field, and we are proud to be honoring him.”
A 1980 graduate of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Pilling was a serious tennis player from the seventh grade on. He began coaching in Jasper at the recreational league level in 1983 and became head tennis coach at Walker High in 1990.
In Pilling’s first eight seasons, Walker High was one of the state’s top Class 6A teams despite being one of the division’s smallest schools. His highest finish was eighth in 1998.
Since moving down to Class 5A in 1999, the school has won the last two state titles easily, more than doubling the score of the second-place team this year. Walker High also defeated all of its Class 6A competition this season except for state champion Mountain Brook. Walker tennis players swept to individual titles in No. 2 through No. 6 singles and No. 2 and No. 3 doubles this year, while finishing second at No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles.
Pilling retired from coaching in the public spectrum and took a position at Summit Christian High School, where is still employed and still on the court coaching. In 2019 the Summit Christian tennis team made it back to the State Championships.
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