I grew up in a coal camp named Mary Helen. The first time I ever saw Joe Gilly was in 1950. I was 10 years old. He was coaching the Harlan High School basketball team in a game against Hall High School in the old gym at Wilson Berger. He was this short, pudgy, red-faced man, ranting and raving, running up and down the sidelines. I thought to myself, what an idiot.

My first up close and personal encounter with coach Gilly was four years later in the summer of 1954 when I reported for pre-season tryouts for the Harlan High School football team. Those tryouts took place at the old Georgetown Field across the river. There were two workouts a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. I thought I was in great physical condition and was ready to go. Boy was I mistaken. Oh those workouts. The head-on tackle exercise, those never ending wind sprints and don’t forget the heat. Water breaks, are you kidding? And then, if you survived the workout, the track all the way across town back to the gym was comparable to the Bataan Death March. If coach Gilly caught you riding back to the gym there would be laps to run. Lots of laps. If you were there, you know what I’m talking about.

Over the next four years that I played for coach Gilly, I came to dislike the man intensely. I saw him as a sadistic, pain- dispensing maniac with only one goal in mind, and that was to make my life a living hell.

I left Harlan after I graduated and had limited contact with coach Gilly over the years. But I would like to tell you something. Once you had played for Joe Gilly, he stays with you for the rest of your life. His ex-players know what I mean.

As the years went by, and I went on with my life, I thought of coach Gilly and I came to realize something very eye opening. Coach Gilly wasn’t exactly the devil incarnate that I remembered. As a matter of fact, I came to realize that he had taught me some very valuable lessons without me even knowing it. For example, he taught me (and all those who played for him) the value of setting goals for yourself and working diligently to achieve them. He also taught us the importance of teamwork and cooperation to achieve a common goal. Perhaps the most important lesson coach Gilly taught his players was the value of grit and determination. That will to never give up, not only in football but also in life. He taught us that when you get knocked down (and you will) don’t just cry and pout about it. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game. What a valuable life lesson and at the time, I didn’t even realize what he was doing.

Time moves pretty fast, you’re busy with your life and years go by. I regret that I never took the time to personally thank coach Gilly for the life lessons he taught me before he passed away.

I would like to now, publicly thank coach Joe Gilly for the invaluable life lessons he taught me. Undoubtedly, Joe Gilly was a great football coach, but I think he was a far greater life lesson coach. I’ll never forget him.

Bob Anderson

Harlan High School

Class of 1958

(Editor’s note – Current or former Harlan County residents are invited to write about their memories of growing up in Harlan County. Contact sports editor John Henson at john.henson@harlan.kyschools.us for more information or to submit a letter or guest column)