Permian coach quits

The coach at the center of the “Friday Night Lights” book and film has left the Odessa Permian sideline for the last time. Gary Gaines said Tuesday he has resigned from the West Texas football program he helped make famous. The 63-year-old leaves with a 69-28-1 record in eight years as Permian’s head coach. The Panthers went 23-21 in Gaines’ second stint in Odessa the past four seasons. In 1989 he led Permian to a state 5A championship, just a year after H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger spent a year in town researching his best-seller, which chronicled how high school …

The coach at the center of the “Friday Night Lights” book and film has left the Odessa Permian sideline for the last time. Gary Gaines said Tuesday he has resigned from the West Texas football program he helped make famous. The 63-year-old leaves with a 69-28-1 record in eight years as Permian’s head coach. The Panthers went 23-21 in Gaines’ second stint in Odessa the past four seasons. In 1989 he led Permian to a state 5A championship, just a year after H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger spent a year in town researching his best-seller, which chronicled how high school football binds the oil patch community. – Associated Press