Raleigh – Former Murphy High School head football coach David Gentry will be inducted into the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 19, one of eight members in this year’s class.
Gentry coached high school football in North Carolina for 47 years. His 426 wins are the most in state history, and 361 of them came during 38 years at Murphy, an NCHSAA record for the most wins at one school.
During his time leading teams down “The Hill,” the Bulldogs won nine state championships, 12 Western regional championships and 18 Smoky Mountain Conference championship. After taking the job in 1983, he retired in June 2021 after leading Murphy to one final state title during the 2020-21 season.
Gentry will be one of two western North Carolina legends entering the Hall of Fame this year, as former Swain County coach Boyce Deitz will also be enshrined. Deitz coached the Maroon Devils from 1977-96, winning 201 games and five state championships during that time.
Once Gentry turned Murphy into a power, the two teams battled yearly for SMC and state championships. The induction
will take place at the Embassy Suites in
Cary.