Very to sad to learn of the passing of Eastern Guilford Coach, Teacher and Leader, Tommy Grayson:The Tommy Grayson Stadium at EG will live on in his memory/honor(Former Guilford College Quaker baseball player weighs in on Coach Grayson)

The Eastern Guilford High School Community is saddened to learn that Coach Tommy Grayson passed last evening.
(Coach Grayson was a special guest of ours, on our Football in Focus Show, several years back, and we will try and go back and pull up that show/program.) CLICK HERE for that Tommy Grayson interview from September 15, 2016 at Shane’s Rib Shack….

Arrangements of services have not been determined at this time. Another release will be sent once arrangements are finalized.

Coach Grayson has impacted many lives in his career as a teacher and coach. He will dearly be missed.

Please continue to pray for all friends and family members closest to Coach Grayson.

+++++Below is a list of some of Coach Grayson’s awards and accomplishments.+++++

*Graduated from Lexington Senior High School in 1963

**Graduated from Chowan Jr. College in 1965 where he played football and baseball

***Transferred to Guilford College where he was a standout football, basketball and baseball player- graduated in 1968
1966 he set Guilford College’s scoring record in football

****He was an NAIA All-American baseball selection in 1967 and 1968

*****Played 5 years in the Detroit Tigers’ minor league baseball system where he reached the Triple-A level

******Coached and taught at Eastern Guilford High School for 17 years- from 1974 to 1991- served as a head coach in football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, track and golf.

*******In football, Coach Grayson’s Wildcats won the Division II State Championship in 1981.

********Retired from high school teaching in 2002 where he taught and coached at Rockingham County High School.

*********After retirement from teaching- he continued to coach for various seasons in football at Guilford College and assisted in baseball at Eastern Guilford 2002 thru 2010 and at Guilford College thru this last year.

**********Coach Grayson has had several assistant coaches that have gone on to be head coaches.

***********Coach Grayson has been inducted into 4 Hall of Fames-
Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame
Guilford College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982
Chowan Sports Hall of Fame- November 2nd, 1985
Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, September 19, 2016

************Coach Grayson was instrumental in building the football field and stadium that we have now- in the late 1970’s- which use to be a lake.

**************EGHS received approval and named the football field in honor of Coach Grayson- naming the field Tommy Grayson Field on November 8, 2013.

**************2019 Recipient of the Eastern Guilford High School Lifetime Wildcat Award

Courtesy of:Randall Hackett
Athletic Director
Eastern Guilford High School

Coach Tommy Grayson also had and made a major impact on the students and in particular the baseball players he coached at Guilford College…We heard from Macon Smith, the All-State baseball player who went from a catcher for the Western Guilford Hornets, to an outfielder for the Western Carolina Catamounts, to a first baseman for the Guilford College Quakers and Macon Smith was one of the all-time top baseball players in Guilford College Quaker baseball history, and he came there from just two miles away, going from Friendway Drive, where Western Guilford is located, to West Friendly Avenue, site of the Guilford College campus….

John Macon Smith says Coach Tommy Grayson was a man of few words, but Coach Grayson was one of the key difference-makers in his life and the overall baseball life of Macon Smith…

Here’s John Macon Smith:
While I was at Guilford, Coach G coached first base and specialized with hitters and infielders. He also threw BP. He threw the purest BP of any coach I ever had; while in his late sixties. My relationship with Coach G was one mostly of few words, but I hold Coach G is the highest regard for his commitment to his school – Guilford College. His reach extended so far beyond my personal relationship with him, though.

This man is a Guilford legend, and he deserves the utmost respect for his dedication to not only Guilford College athletics, but to Guilford County as a whole.

I believe that every Coach has the chance to leave a lasting impact on his or her individual players through their integrity in all situations, honesty through difficulty, and leadership by example. For me, that’s Coach G. He may have been a man of few words, at least in my experience, but he always had the right words when they were needed. And even though he was one hell of an athlete in his day, I will remember him most for being a one of a kind Coach and person.

Coach G’s legacy deserves to live on for years to come.

RIP Coach Tommy Grayson…..

(GreensboroSports.com)
For the 2020 season, I think they need to put a large maroon “G” on first base over at Guilford College, to honor Coach Grayson and to show the “G” in Guilford, rolls with the “G” in Grayson….

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Tommy Grayson baseball and football coach/baseball and football player, at Guilford College:
Guilford Hall of Famer Tommy Grayson Class of ‘68 returned for a second tour of duty with the Quakers’ baseball team in the fall of 2010 as the team’s bench coach, while also assisting with hitters and infielders. Grayson also assisted with his alma mater’s baseball team from 1993-1995 and in 1997.

In 2017, the Quakers went 22-17. Guilford College’s Trevor Denton earned Second Team All-South Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings. Denton, Josh Shepherd and Mitchell Stumpo earned All-ODAC distinction for Guilford.

Grayson helped guide Chuck Noble ’16 to All-State honors in his senior campaign. He led the Quakers with a .366 average, good for ninth in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), and tallied 41 hits, 16 runs scored, 14 RBIs and two stolen bases over 31 games.

Grayson spent four seasons in the Detroit Tigers’ minor-league system, where he reached the Triple-A level. He earned NAIA All-America honors for the Quakers in 1967 and 1968, was the Carolinas Conference Player of the Year in 1967 and was voted Guilford’s Best Undergraduate Male Athlete in 1966. Grayson helped coach Stuart Maynard’s ‘43 baseball team to a 28-9 record in 1966 and an NAIA World Series appearance, where the Quakers finished fourth overall.

The Guilford graduate has also spent much of his coaching career on the gridiron, assisting with the Quakers’ football team on multiple occasions. Grayson served as the wide receivers and tight ends coach in 2002, worked with the defensive line in 2003 and coached running backs in 2004.

**********In case you missed it, Coach Grayson also coached Eastern Guilford Hall of Famer, N.C. State Hall of Famer, and future NFL Hall of Famer, Torry Holt…Holt on the NFL Hall of Fame:As of 2016, Holt has been a second year semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame…..Coach Grayson was there with some very key names in coaching over the years…**********5

$$$$$$$$$$ One of the wildest things I saw Tommy Grayson do was hit a mammoth home run out of the old War Memorial Stadium, back around 1984…Coach Grayson was probably in his late 40’s or early 50’s at the time, and his shot in that Baseball Old-Timers Game, sure left the old ball yard in a hurry…Tip of the cap to Tommy Grayson, he might have been the Perry Mason of Old-Timers Baseball, he was that tough and still that strong…..$$$$$$$$$$

Again, RIP:Tommy Grayson….

++++++++++Coach Tommy Grayson was 74 years old, when he passed away back on Sunday…..++++++++++

3 thoughts on “Very to sad to learn of the passing of Eastern Guilford Coach, Teacher and Leader, Tommy Grayson:The Tommy Grayson Stadium at EG will live on in his memory/honor(Former Guilford College Quaker baseball player weighs in on Coach Grayson)

  1. Guilford College Quakers’ baseball coach Nick Black:

    “I’m still in disbelief,” said Guilford head baseball coach Nick Black ’02. “He was my hero. He was the type of coach that I want to be. He was a father-figure, mentor, and friend.

    “I’ll miss his perspectives on life and the game of baseball, how it’s taught, and how to deal with the successes and failures. He taught me family was always number one. His simple approach to the game kept us all in check. It was all about attitude and effort.”

  2. Coach Tommy Grayson was 74 years old at his time of passing….

    Not sure how old Wayne Butler was, anybody out there know???

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