Herman Boone is a former American high school football coach, most famous for
coaching at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Boone was
portrayed by Denzel Washington in the 2000 realistic fiction film Remember the
Titans. Biography
= Education= Boone attended the Abraham Lincoln
Elementary School, then the now closed Booker T. Washington High School in
Rocky Mount and graduated from North Carolina Central University in Durham,
North Carolina, where, in 1958, he received his B.A. and M.S. degrees.
= Career= After college, Boone decided to become a
teacher and coach, so that he might motivate other youngsters, as he had
been early in his childhood. In 1958, Herman accepted his first teaching and
coaching position at the Luther H. Foster High School in Blackstone,
Virginia, where he coached football, basketball and baseball. His teams
recorded impressive results with twenty-six wins, six losses and three
district championships. In 1961, Herman returned to his home
state of North Carolina to continue his coaching and teaching career. He
accepted a coaching position at the E.J. Hayes High School in Williamston, North
Carolina. His football teams amassed a record of 99 wins and 8 losses in a
nine-year period. His 1966 football team was recognized by Scholastic Coach’s
Magazine as “The Number One Football Team in America”. In 1969, Boone was
fired from his position, informed by the Williamston school board that the town
of Williamston “was not ready for a black head coach”.
In 1971, the city of Alexandria, Virginia decided to totally consolidate
its school system and appointed Herman as its first consolidated head football
coach at T. C. Williams High School over a white coach Bill Yoast with several
years seniority and a steadfast citywide following. Remarkably, Herman was able
to pull together and solidify a diverse coaching staff and an unfocused group of
young boys into one of the most powerful football teams in the state of Virginia,
winning the 1971 Virginia State Championship. This team was ranked
second in the nation by national polls. After the Gettysburg camp where the team
members got to know each other, President Richard Nixon sent an aide,
Dr. Brown, to see this integrated football team that was beginning to
catch national attention. In December 1971, Nixon was quoted as saying the
Titans were "the team saved the city of Alexandria".
Boone has been selected coach of the year six times and is the author of many
articles for several national magazines. = Retirement=
Retired from coaching, Boone enjoys a career as a public speaker at functions
regarding his time as a high school football coach at T. C. Williams High
School. Personal life
Boone currently lives with his wife, Carol, in Alexandria, Virginia. They
have three daughters, Sharron, Donna, and Monica, and three grandchildren,
Mackenzie, Myles, and Lauren. Boone is also a member of Omega Psi Phi
Fraternity, having become a member through the Tau Psi chapter at North
Carolina Central University. Boone is a friend of Willie Jeffries,
dating back to when the two were assistant coaches in North Carolina.
Boone wrote a letter of recommendation in support of Jeffries' induction into
the College Football Hall of Fame. In it, Boone wrote, "Without his leadership
and example, there would not have been Remember the Titans or the advancement
in race relations in sports that we have witnessed."
In film The integration of the T. C. Williams
football team is the subject of the film Remember the Titans. Boone was portrayed
in the movie by Denzel Washington. Many of the details in the movie have
come under scrutiny by former players regarding the accuracy and portrayal of
Coach Boone. Recognition
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which is a game between high school
All-American seniors from the East and West side of the country, has an award
named after him, The Herman Boone Trophy, given to the team who wins the
game. See also
List of teachers portrayed in films References
External links Herman Boone at the Internet Movie
Database