Bill Yoast was a high school football coach who made history in 1971 by leading an integrated team to a state championship in Virginia. His story was immortalized in the 2000 film Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington as his co-coach Herman Boone. Yoast died in 2019 at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy of courage, compassion, and excellence.
A Life Dedicated to Coaching
Yoast was born in 1924 in Florence, Alabama, where he grew up picking cotton alongside sharecroppers. He developed a passion for sports and played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II, and then attended Georgia Military College and Mercer University, where he earned a degree in physical education.
He began his coaching career in Georgia, where he coached various sports at several high schools. He also earned a master’s degree in education from Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee. He moved to Virginia in 1966, where he became the head football coach at Hammond High School in Alexandria. He led the team to four regional championships in five years, and was nominated to the Virginia High School Hall of Fame.
Bill Yoast Wiki/Bio
| Name | Bill Yoast |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | 1924 |
| Birth Place | Florence, Alabama |
| Death Date | May 23, 2019 |
| Death Place | Springfield, Virginia |
| Occupation | High School Football Coach |
| Education | Peabody College, Mercer University |
| Spouse | Betty Watson |
| Children | Bonnie, Angela, Sheryl, Deidre |
| Grandchildren | 9 |
| Great-Grandchildren | Several |
| Net Worth | Unknown |
| Military Service | Army Air Corps |
| billyoast | |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
A Historic Season
In 1971, Alexandria underwent a major school consolidation, which merged three high schools into one: T.C. Williams High School. The move was intended to promote racial integration, as the city had been segregated for decades. Yoast, who had a reputation for fighting racism in his previous coaching jobs, was expected to be the head coach of the new football team, the Titans. However, he was passed over in favor of Herman Boone, a black coach from North Carolina who had been hired to coach the city’s black high school team.
Yoast faced a dilemma: he could either accept a demotion to be Boone’s assistant coach, or leave the school and take another head coaching job elsewhere. He chose to stay, partly because of his loyalty to his white players, who threatened to boycott the team if he left, and partly because of his respect for Boone, who offered him the defensive coordinator position. Yoast also saw an opportunity to make a positive impact on the community by helping to bridge the racial divide.
The two coaches had different styles and personalities, but they shared a common goal: to create a winning team out of a diverse group of players. They faced resistance and hostility from both sides of the racial spectrum, as well as from the school board, the media, and the public. They also had to overcome their own prejudices and mistrust, and learn to work together as a team.
They achieved this by taking the players to a training camp in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where they forced them to interact and bond with each other. They also used the historical significance of the site, where the Civil War’s bloodiest battle took place, to teach them about the importance of unity and brotherhood. They returned to Alexandria as a cohesive and disciplined unit, ready to face the challenges of the season.
The Titans went on to dominate the competition, winning every game they played. They also became a symbol of hope and harmony for the city, as people of different races and backgrounds cheered for them as one. They reached the state championship game, where they faced a formidable opponent: the Marshall High School Statesmen, who were also undefeated and had a larger and stronger team. The game was a nail-biter, with both teams scoring back and forth. In the final minutes, the Titans scored a touchdown and a two-point conversion, taking the lead by one point. They then stopped the Statesmen’s final drive, securing the victory and the title.
The Titans celebrated their triumph, but also mourned a tragedy. One of their star players, Gerry Bertier, who was the team captain and the leader of the defense, had been paralyzed in a car accident the night before the game. He had been driving home from a banquet where he had received the state’s defensive player of the year award. He was hit by a drunk driver, who was also a former Hammond High School student. Bertier survived the crash, but lost the use of his legs. He remained a part of the team, and was carried onto the field by his teammates after the game.
Wife and Kids
Bill Yoast was married to Betty Watson, who was also a graduate of Peabody College. They had four daughters: Bonnie, Angela, Sheryl, and Deidre. Sheryl and Bonnie died in 1996 and 2003, respectively, while Angela and Deidre are still alive. Yoast also had nine grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Net Worth and Income Sources
Bill Yoast’s net worth is not publicly known, but he likely earned a modest income from his coaching career and his retirement benefits. He also received some royalties from the book and the film based on his life story, Remember the Titans. He donated some of his earnings to various charities and causes, such as the Gerry Bertier Foundation, which supports spinal cord injury research and prevention.
Height, Weight, and Physical Stats
| Height | 6 feet |
| Weight | 180 pounds |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Blue |
A Lasting Legacy
The 1971 Titans are widely regarded as one of the greatest high school football teams of all time. They are also credited with helping to ease the racial tensions in Alexandria, and inspiring other communities to follow their example. Their story has been told in books, documentaries, and the film Remember the Titans, which was released in 2000 and became a box office hit and a critical success. The film, however, took some artistic liberties with the facts, such as exaggerating the hostility and violence that the team faced, and changing some of the details of the games and the characters.
Yoast continued to coach at T.C. Williams until 1996, when he retired. He also coached track and field and golf, and won several state championships in those sports as well. He remained close friends with Boone, and they often appeared together at public events and speaking engagements. He also stayed in touch with many of his former players, who considered him a mentor and a father figure.
Yoast died on May 23, 2019, at an assisted living facility in Springfield, Virginia. He was 94 years old. He was survived by his ex-wife Betty, his three daughters, his nine grandchildren, and his many great-grandchildren. He was also mourned by the entire T.C. Williams community, and by football fans across the nation. He was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.
Yoast was a coach who transcended the game. He was a leader who taught his players not only how to win, but how to live. He was a man who made a difference in the world, by showing that sports can be a force for good, and that people can overcome their differences and come together as one. He was a titan, who will always be remembered.
