Varnedoe, John A. - 1966
After graduating from Mercer University in 1927, Varnedoe returned to his alma mater, Savannah High School, and joined the coaching staff. He was the first coach to move the football team out of sandlots to play in Grayson Stadium, and coached the Blue Jackets in the first night game ever played in Savannah. His basketball teams won state championships in 1936 and 1937; both years the team also won the sectional high school tournament at Washington & Lee University in Virginia. One of Varnedoe’s basketball teams advanced to the semifinals of the national high school tournament in Chicago. His record against Benedictine Military School in the famed football rivalry was 8-2-0. Varnedoe remained at Savannah High School for ten years. Many of his players advanced into the collegiate, professional, and coaching ranks.