Jim Hammond, Goodpasture's first football coach, dies

Goodpasture’s first football coach, Jim Hammond, died on Sunday. He was 76.

Hammond was a three-year starting defensive end at UT Martin and served as a team captain as a senior (1965).

He became the Goodpasture coach in the Cougars’ first varsity season in 1972 after serving as head coach at Lanier High in his hometown of Macon, Georgia.

After leading Goodpasture to a 2-9 record, Hammond returned to Macon in 1973. He came back to the Midstate in 1979 when he became the coach at White House.

In 1981, Hammond returned to Macon where he coached at Southwest and Windsor and became the first coach at Southeast until he retired in 1988.

Hammond was inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.