KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Three of the new eight inductees to the TSSAA Hall of Fame for 2024 are from East Tennessee. Two inductees are from Anderson County, and one is from Knox County.
Those being inducted at this year’s luncheon are Joe Gaddis , a coach from Oak Ridge; Jody Wright , a coach from Clinton; and Jerry McCarter , an official from Powell.
Joe Gaddis
Gaddis was a successful football coach for almost 50 years, with 39 years as a head coach at seven schools. He was known for his record and contributions to TSSAA. His career record was 334-146, with 296-105 in Tennessee.
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He won the A.F. Bridges TSSAA District 2 Male Coach of the Year and was a three-time Coach of the Year in different regions of Tennessee with different teams. He was inducted into the Tennessee Football Coaches Hall of Fame and Oak Ridge Sports Hall of Fame .
Jody Wright
Wright started his coaching career at Fulton High School in the early 1980s and transformed the Falcons into regional winners. Throughout his 38-year tenure, Wright led the team to 20 State Tournament appearances, winning the TSSAA State Championship four times and finishing as a runner-up five times.