Gary Rankin
Alcoa High School
Impact Statement
“We develop our kids from the get-go,” he said. “We get them as much experience as we can”
-Gary Rankin on Alcoa’s consistency
Biography
Rankin established himself as one of the state’s elite coaches in 16 seasons at Riverdale High in Murfreesboro. In 1990 he took over a Riverdale program coming off three consecutive losing seasons. After a 4-6 opening season, Rankin developed the Warriors into one of the state’s top programs, leading Riverdale to Class 5A state titles in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2004 and nine state title games, including five straight from 2000-04. His teams won 14 district/region titles and he concluded his tenure at Riverdale with a 70-game winning streak against district/region opponents.
Last season, Rankin took over at Class 2A state power Alcoa High and led the Tornadoes to a 13-2 record – the losses coming to the Class 3A and Class 4A state champions – a third consecutive state title and the fifth of his career. EA Sports named Rankin, whose career record is 207-27, its National High School Coach of the Year in 2004.
Since being honored in 2007, Rankin has continued to lead Alcoa to dominance. In 2019 Alcoa captured their 14th State Championship, and Rankin’s 18th overall.
In 2011 Rankin was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame.
In September of 2017 Rankin became the winningest coach in Tennessee by capturing his 400th career victory. After the 2019 season, Rankin’s career record is 439-76.
Photos
