|
|
(Photo: Mike Organ / The Tennessean) |
Nashville coach who created
polka-dot uniforms dies
Mike Organ
morgan@tennessean.com
January 10, 2016
L ongtime Metro coach Bill Brimm, who was
known for creating Madison High's famous polka dot basketball uniforms, died
Sunday afternoon. He was 92.
Visitation will take place Saturday at Madison Middle
School, formerly Madison High School, from 10 a.m. to noon. The funeral is
at noon.
After graduating from Central High (where he was
three-sport star), Tennessee Tech and Peabody College, Brimm began his
coaching career in 1949 at Goodlettsville as a football assistant under Bill
Harris.
He replaced Harris for two seasons as the head coach at
Goodlettsville before leaving to become the head coach at Madison when it
opened in 1953.
|
Coach Bill Brimm designed Madison's
basketball uniforms, which featured 168 polka dots on each one.
(Photo: Mike Organ / The Tennessean) |
Brimm also coached basketball and baseball at Madison
through 1970, winning Nashville Interscholastic League championships in all
three sports.
In 1960, Brimm designed Madison’s orange, black and white basketball
uniforms with 168 polka dots on each one, including the socks. His intent
was to confuse the Rams’ opponents.
The design made national news, and a story was
written about it in the March 14, 1960, issue of Sports Illustrated.
Brimm’s 1961 Madison basketball team advanced to the
state tournament. His football teams participated in nine bowl games
including the Clinic Bowl and won 28 consecutive games during one stretch.
The football field and basketball court at Madison were
named in honor of Brimm. He was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame in
1999, the Tennessee Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014 and is
a member of the National Football Foundation and Metro Nashville Football
Coaches Association halls of fame.
He coached through the 1970 school year and then ended
his teaching career as a guidance counselor at McGavock High in 1974.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 and on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
|
|
|
|