Hidden Gem: Dalton Is Home To GA Coaches Hall of Fame
Monday, June 13th, 2022
When college coaches are looking for the best athletes in the country, they come to Georgia. And every year when championships are decided in college or the professional ranks, athletes who were born and raised in the Peach State are always prominently featured. That kind of talent doesn’t just develop because there’s something in the water - it means you can also find some of the most talented and dedicated coaches in sports in Georgia, too.
And when it’s time to honor the best of the best, Georgia’s coaches come to Dalton.
Dalton is home to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame, an all-sports tribute to the best developers of young athletes and also young people in our state’s history. 117 members strong, the coaching elite are enshrined in a special permanent exhibition at the Dalton Convention Center. Plaques honoring the inductees are displayed year-round.
At right: A bust of GACA Hall of Fame founder Ray Broadaway welcomes visitors to the Hall of Fame exhibit at the Dalton Convention Center
“It’s the best thing we do in our organization when it comes to our coaches,” said Bobby McAllister, the former director of the GACA and the coordinator of the Hall of Fame’s induction ceremonies each year.
The GACA Coaches Hall of Fame is open to the public at the Dalton Convention Center (2211 Tony Ingle Parkway) during normal business hours free of charge. It is located on the first floor outside of the arena area.
“It’s definitely unique for our community,” said Margaret Thigpen, Dalton’s director of tourism and the executive director of the Convention Center.
The most recent class of inductees joined the Hall of Fame earlier this month, headlined by former Calhoun High School football coach Hal Lamb. He took over the Yellow Jacket football program in 1999 and led Calhoun to three state championships and also multiple other appearances in the state championship game. He won 183 times in his 214 games as the program’s head coach. He currently serves as the athletic director at Dalton’s Christian Heritage School.
He was joined in this year’s Hall of Fame class by basketball coaches Lee Hill and Seth Vining, baseball coach Donnie English, and golf coach Terry Tuley.
The Dalton area’s rich tradition of athletic greatness is also enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Legendary Dalton High School coach Bill Chappell was part of the Hall’s first-ever induction class in 2001. Coach Chappell led the Catamounts for 33 seasons, compiling an incredible 317-74-9 record. Coach Chappell’s Catamounts captured one state championship while also reaching the title game six times. The Cats won 16 region championships and were participants in the state playoffs in all but five of Coach Chappell’s five seasons at the helm.
At right: The 2022 GACA Coaches Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held at the Dalton Convention Center earlier this month
One of Coach Chappell’s football assistants is also enshrined, as legendary Catamount golf coach Hayden Wagers is also inducted. The late Coach Wagers led the Catamounts to six state championships during his years on the links with three other runner-up finishes. During his time leading the Catamounts, the golf program also produced two high school All-Americans and a national player of the year.
Each year, the GACA also honors other contributors with awards named for coaching luminaries and other notable figures from athletics in Georgia. Coaches and also other figures who contribute to sports in Georgia are recognized each year.
“Like Tommy Palmer who had the scoreboard show on Friday nights, he passed away a few years ago and we honored him with an award,” said McAllister. “So, we try to honor the people who are important to sports and the coaches in the state of Georgia in addition to those who go into the Hall of Fame.”
The Hall of Fame currently features plaques bearing the likeness of each of the enshrined coaches and the story of their career highlights. There are hopes to one day expand the Hall with digital offerings to tell even more of their stories.
“That is certainly in the conversation, we started that conversation before COVID hit and then once COVID hit as you know a lot of things went on hold,” Thigpen said. “That is a desire to kind of level it up if you will and take it into the technology of today offering more for anyone who comes to visit.”
