The Georgia Athletic Coaches Association will have their 80th award ceremonies and 18th annual Hall of Fame induction weekend on June 1-2, 2018 at the Dalton Convention Center with retired GHSA Executive Director Gary Phillips receiving the Sam Burke Award.
GACA Executive Director Bobby McAllister announced that the 2018 Hall of Fame inductees are: Football, Dave Hunter; Basketball, Charles “Chunk” Reid; Baseball, David McDonald, and Wrestling, Marty Hutsell.
The Carlton “Corky” Kell award will be presented to Pete Wilson of the Jostens Company and the Dwight Keith award to Coach Doug Kesler, retired softball coach Madison County High School. As mentioned, the Sam Burke award goes to Gary Phillips; the Beverly Sanders Raines award will be presented to Ms. Shirley Hughes from Elbert County High School; the Calvin Lee Murray award goes to the late Coach Stan Allen from Covington, Georgia.
The Nike Coach of the Year will be presented to Coach Rich McWhorter from Charlton County; the GAOA Official of the Year is Gordon Dickerson of Lawrenceville, Georgia. Coach Edgar Hatcher, retired, from Macon, Georgia will be presented the GACA Lifetime Membership award; and Coach Eddie Ashley of Macon will be presented the Executive Directors award for his service in 2017-18 as President of the GACA.
The Hall of Fame weekend will begin Friday June 1st with a golf tournament at 10:00 A.M. at the Fields Ferry Golf Club in Calhoun, Georgia. There will be a Ladies’ Luncheon at the Dalton Convention Center at 12:00 P.M., and at 7:00 P.M. a reception for the inductees and award winners will be at the convention center. The banquet will be on Saturday June 2, 2018 starting at 11:30 A.M. at the convention center. The LaQuinta Inn and Suites and Courtyard Marriott in Dalton, Georgia are the headquarters for the weekend and 300+ guest are expected to arrive for the ceremony.
