Rhodes High School Mourns The Loss Of Head Coach Phillip Gary

It’s a sad day for Rhodes High School and the Cleveland community, as multi-sport coach Phillip Gary has passed away. Gary had been battling colon cancer since 2012.

Gary had coached both the football and baseball teams, as he won the Senate Athletic League Championship in baseball this past spring.

Students who played for Coach Gary mourned the loss of a man who had a big impact in their lives. Below are quotes from a few players from their own personal FaceBook pages.

“Coach Gary passed last night. He taught me a lot about discipline and hard work, he helped mold me into a man. He went out of his way as a coach, he even drove me to an Ohio State football camp one summer. He knew exactly how to deal with young cocky attitudes. I saw the transition from him being in good health to his last game. He fought for so long like you would expect and kicked cancers ass quite a few times. Now all of us have these shared memories and funny stories involving him that will never leave us”- Josh Smith

(Warning: NSFW Language)

“I remember the day i thought i was gone quit Coach Gary was like wheres Kai at the team was like he quit he jumped in his car and found me at the bus stop told me to get in and he cursed me out for a lil bit and then he told me that as long he was alive he wouldnt let me quit because thats what h** a**es do and youre not a h** a** so i came back and that week we beat john Hay 8 to 0 the first time since in while and also by far one of the hardest games ive ever played all four quarters no breaks. I remember the time we couldn’t keep the locker room clean and he kick us out of the locker room for like 2 weeks with the big a** black trash bags that was fuunny asf lol. The hit drill that was pure discipline and that was our mark i never really got to apologize to my team or to any of the coaches about the last two games but s*** happensand im sorry it went the way it did im sorry i cost us a chance to make to the playoffs. Its just so much to to remember man and you gone now shit hard to comprehend rn though like i was literally just talking about you yesterday just came up in one of my conversations out the blue but rest high my guy and ill see you on the other side”- Kai Hall

Man I can't believe this wow I'm so hurt this man has had the biggest impact on my life and now he's gone ?????? pic.twitter.com/wVqAUoG9Lc

— Nupé Fiasco♦️ (@ShimmyTurner) December 15, 2016

The cause of Coach Gary’s death is still unknown. NEOSI will update you as soon as we find out more details.