Former FCHS principal inducted into National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Gary Phillips wrestled a little bit in high school, but that was only because he didn’t play basketball. When he was coaching at Central High School in Macon, he helped out a bit with the wrestling team, but wasn’t the main coach.

As principal at Fayette County High School, he watched a number of teams and wrestlers enjoy a good deal of success but never hit the mats. However, as Assistant Executive Director with the Georgia High School Association, Phillips oversees wrestling, as well as several other sports, and it was because of a number of changes to the state duals and individual state meet that led to him being inducted recently into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

“I was very surprised at the nomination,” said Phillips, who stated that after the nomination came a screening process. “I was honored to just be a part of the conversation.”
High school wrestling in the state of Georgia has grown tremendously in recent years and the state duals meet in Macon followed by the state meet at The Arena at Gwinnett Center give the sport two excellent showcases for Georgia’s top wrestlers and teams. Seventy two teams from the five classifications wrestle over two days in Macon in the state duals meet and a month later 1,500 wrestlers participate in the state meet which spans two and a half days. To say these are large scale events is an understatement and through the work of tournament directors and armies of volunteers they are the premier events for wrestling in the state.

Phillips is an old hand at being inducted to Hall of Fames. In 2007, he was inducted into the Fayette County High School Hall of Fame. He and his family are already making plans to travel to Stillwater, OK as soon as possible to see the plaque that will bear Phillips name, as well as the name of the other residents of Georgia inducted this year.

Phillips admitted that being inducted and recognized at a ceremony in front of his family, peers and former athletes was “pretty neat,” but he also is busy with another high school athletic season and a wrestling season that will be here before you know it.

Gary Phillips, R, accepting the honor from Mike Moyer, Executive Director of National Wrestling Coaches Association. Photo/Special