Coach Gentry is Inducted in the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame 2025 Class

By Brandon Stephens

(Murphy) – – Coaching pride of the mountains legendary Coach David Gentry is honored with one more jewel in his illustrious crown.  For almost half a century legendary and iconic coach David Gentry has been a football leader at several high schools, but nones as longer and more successful than his era at Murphy High School.

Simply put, David Gentry is the winningest coach in the history of the NCHSAA as a football coach. Gentry has compiled a 426-195-3 record in 47 years of coaching, giving him more wins than any coach in the history of NCHSAA Football. His record at Murphy alone is impressive, earning a mark of 361-117-1, which is the most wins at a single school in NCHSAA Football history. Gentry’s teams won 9 State Championships and finished as runner-up an additional three times.

He has collected 18 conference championships in the highly competitive Smoky Mountain Conference, winning Conference Coach of the Year 18 times as well. Gentry was the 2017 Shrine Bowl Head Coach. He was selected as one of the NCHSAA’s 100 Coaches to Remember in the Centennial Celebration of the Association in 2013 and was inducted into the WNC Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. The football field at Murphy is named in his honor.

The induction ceremony for Coach Gentry was held May 2, 2025.  North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame made an appearance and short presentation of his class induction ring prior to the start of the Murphy versus Hayesville game on October 24^th. The presentation was joined by Coach Gentry’s family and current Murphy High Head Football Coach Joseph Watson.  Coach Gentry is a member of the 2025 class, which includes professional football player Greg Ellis, women’s basketball coach Nora Lynn Finch, track and field coach Rollie Geiger, NASCAR crew chief Dale Inman, NASCAR driver Bobby Isaac, Olympic swimming gold medalist Cullen Jones, professional football player Chester McGlockton, women’s basketball player Wendy Palmer, football standout and coach Jimmy Raye, and baseball player and sports administrator Miles Wolff.