South Central High School Gym To Be Named For Gary Shirley

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Published on January 8 2016 1:12 pm
Last Updated on January 8 2016 9:47 pm
Written by Millie Lange

South Central High School will have a renaming ceremony for their high school gynmasium this Saturday, January 9 between the junior varsity and varsity basketball games with Flora.

The gym will now be called the Gary L. Shirley Memorial Gymnasium in memory and honor of longtime coach and teacher, Gary Shirley.

Shirley died July 31, 2014 at the age of 59. He had a long career as a college prep English teacher and coach at Kinmundy-Alma and then South Central at Farina. He was the lone coach at South Central High School the first 20 years after the merger of Kinmundy-Alma and Farina-LaGrove.

He finished his basketball coaching career with a 520-200 record. He was 89-67 at Kinmundy-Alma and 431-133 at South Central. He claimed two regional championships at Kinmundy-Alma and a sectional and eight regional crowns at South Central.

He was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2005.

He also coached baseball where his teams won 10 regular season and tournament championships in the Midland Trail Conference.

In his personal life, Shirley operated a painting business, was a member of the Kinmundy Christian Church, a Sunday School teacher, Deacon and Elder.

Everyone is invited to help celebrate the legacy Gary Shirley left behind.