Legendary McCallie Teacher and Coach Terry Evans Passes Away

 

The first class McCallie Head of School Lee Burns ‘87 attended on his first day of middle school in the fall of 1981 was the one taught by science teacher Terry Evans.

 

“What a blessing to me and how fitting that he would begin my McCallie career,” Burns said Sunday morning. “Decades later, I, like a multitude of other colleagues and alumni, would continue to benefit from his faith, wisdom, and counsel.”

 

Sadly, Evans passed away on Saturday evening, January 3, after a courageous battle against pneumonia and heart disease. He was 86. His remarkable McCallie legacy endures through his and Marilyn’s daughter Tammy Barber, the Middle School assistant principal for academics, son Roc, the Middle School athletic director, and grandson Blake, an IT support specialist. Between Blake, Roc, Terry, and Tammy, there are more than 100 total years of service to McCallie.

 

 

“Dad enjoyed pouring himself into his students,” said Roc on Sunday. “Helping to make boys into men through his faith. McCallie meant the world to him.”

 

Evans first arrived at McCallie in the fall of 1976. He taught and coached for 41 years before retiring in 2017. He coached football at multiple levels, taught middle school science, was the Belk Dorm head, Day Camp director and Middle School Senate advisor.

 

“Before I ever went to McCallie, I’d heard of what a great football player Terry was at City High from my Dad, who played with Terry at Tennessee Tech,” said Gary Welch, McCallie’s board chair. “When I came as a student, Terry was the defensive ends coach. My favorite memory of Terry as a coach was him getting so frustrated with the defensive ends in practice and calling them ‘Goo Goo Brains.’ He never said a curse word. That was the harshest thing he’d ever say — Goo Goo Brain.” 

 

“But to show you what those players thought of him, we had a group text on Saturday night when we heard he’d died and a couple of those defensive ends wrote,  ‘I loved him dearly.’ Whenever you talked about Coach Evans, the players would just light up. The Ridge got a little darker this weekend and Heaven got a little brighter.”

 

Yet even his frustration with some players didn’t keep Evans from realizing the limitations of others.

 

McCallie Chief of Staff Thomas Hayes ‘88 was an undersized defensive end for Evans in the last half of the ‘80s.

 

“Coach Evans was my position coach my sophomore year,” recalled Hayes. “I don’t think I weighed more than 100 pounds. Everyone knew Coach Evans was tough, but I remember him as merciful. He would go to extraordinary lengths during practice to protect me. Most often he'd orchestrate drills so that I would always have a 'favorable' matchup, i.e. a partner who wouldn't send me to the ER. Sometimes that simply wasn't possible, and in those instances, he'd pretend to run out of cones, and ask me to stand in for one. I always loved him for that.”

 

McCallie athletic director Kenny Sholl coached alongside Evans on the varsity level for 15 years, beginning with Sholl’s first season at the school in 1983.

 

“Terry loved coaching, he loved the boys, he was tough when he needed to be tough, but he was also always kind,” Sholl said Monday morning. “Watching Terry work was a master class in coaching and as a young coach, I soaked it all in. I’m still trying to master the lessons he taught me.”

 

 

His faith was a constant part of his life until the very end of his life. Even in retirement, Evans would often visit the dining hall early on Thursday mornings for the coaches Bible study.

 

“I have so many fond memories of Coach Evans, but in recent years, I have a definite favorite,” said Hayes. “You could find him every Thursday morning in the dining hall. He was there for the coaches Bible study, and he would sit off to the side waiting for it to start. He would be hovered over his Bible, and there would always be a huge smile on his face. He loved the Bible, and it was a great joy to see him studying it.”

 

Even in his final days in the hospital, Evans would quote his favorite Bible verse to nurses and doctors—Romans 8:28—which says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

 

But his love for McCallie was only slightly behind his love of the Lord and his family.

 

In a school video made upon his retirement in 2017, Evans said, “I don’t know of another place you can go where you will have a group of people who are so concerned not only about each other, but also the students and their families. McCallie is just like a big family. Everybody loves each other. McCallie is just a special place.”

 

Burns will be the first to tell you Evans made it more special every one of his 41 years as a teacher and a coach, as well the times he returned to campus on numerous occasions after his retirement.

 

 

“Though a legend and icon in the McCallie community, Terry Evans consistently displayed a humility and servant’s heart rooted in his deep and strong Christian faith,” said Burns on Sunday morning. “Through his teaching, coaching, and advising countless McCallie boys for approximately half a century, he inspired and mentored boys to grow into men of faith and character. He modeled and shared the love of Christ not only to boys, but to our faculty and staff as well. His legacy and impact are enduring, and he will be greatly missed.”

 

Visitation will be held in McCallie School's Chapel on Saturday, January 10, from noon until 2:00 pm followed by a memorial service at 2:30 pm. The service will also be available via livestream.

 

To share memories with the family please email​: memories@mccallie.org.

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In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be made to the Terry Evans Memorial Fund at The Generosity Trust, 345 Frazier Avenue, Unit 205, Chattanooga, TN 37405.  Marilyn, Tammy, and Roc will make contributions from this fund to charitable causes that were important to Coach and Mrs. Evans during his lifetime.  All gifts to TGT are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.