Weathers resigns at Soddy-Daisy

SODDY-DAISY -- One of Chattanooga’s finest football mentors ever to hang a whistle around his neck said goodbye to coaching today after 36 years.

Tom Weathers, 67, resigned as the head coach of the Soddy-Daisy Trojans where he was 16-26 in four years.

Weathers was one of the best at molding boys into men and teaching lessons that would benefit them later in life.

East Ridge coach Tim James called Weathers a Chattanooga coaching icon.

“He’s a fine man, very competitive and I consider him a friend,” James said. “Some coaches choose not to continue and get into administration, but Coach Weathers’ love of the game and love of kids kept him in it.”

Weathers coached at Red Bank from 1974-2001 where he guided the Lions to the first undefeated state championship season in the school's history in 2000.

The 5A title was the first by a Hamilton County team in the state's largest football classification since Baylor won it in 1973.

In 1978 his Red Bank team lost in the state championship finals.

Tim Ledbetter’s son Jason was a member of the 2000 Red Bank 5A state championship team.

“He’s a good man and was very disciplined,” Ledbetter said. “He was good for the program and did a lot for the Red Bank community.”

Weathers took over at Red Bank for Frank Cofer in 1973 and found a home at the foot of Signal Mountain before departing for Dade County, Ga. after the 2001 season.

He guided the Wolverines to back-to-back 2-8 seasons in Trenton in a rebuilding effort.

However, he returned to Hamilton County as the head coach at Soddy-Daisy in 2004.

That 2004 team was 9-3. Many of us will never forget when he guided that squad against Ooltewah and his former player, Ted Gatewood, with both teams undefeated.

The Owls prevailed 21-17 in one of the most memorable prep match-ups in Chattanooga history.

Steve Garland has enjoyed working on Weathers’ coaching staff at Soddy-Daisy.

“It was an honor to work with someone of his stature,” Garland said. “We all gained a lot of experience. He has forgotten more about football than we will ever know.”

Weathers won 248 games and lost 131 as a head coach.

The Columbus, Miss. native came to the area to attend the University of Chattanooga, where he was a standout football player in the late 1950s.

I watched him play football when he was a member of the Chattanooga Cherokees semi professional team.

He coached the game quietly and didn’t often seek publicity.

Weathers will long be remembered as one of the best coaches, not only in the Chattanooga area, but in the state of Tennessee.

The football field at Red Bank is named after him and I honor him annually with the Tom Weathers Offensive Player of the year Award with Stump On Sports.

If I was an artist and asked to paint a picture of a football coach the finished product would look like Tom Weathers.