Thurman Leach, Garner High’s football coach, set to retire

Thurman Leach, the Garner High football coach who has led the team since 2013 and was an assistant and teacher for more than 20 years before that, is retiring.

The announcement of Leach’s retirement, which was first reported by WRAL, has been met with an outpouring of support, admiration and pride.

Garner High School tweeted out a congratulatory message in response to Leach’s announcement.

“Congratulations on your retirement Coach Leach! You have been much more than a Coach to these young men over these 34 years,” the tweet said.

Parents, students and alumni alike have shared their gratitude for Leach’s mentorship and guidance, with many sharing photos and videos alongside Leach in full uniform.

Leach helped coach players like Nyheim Hines, who went on to play at N.C. State before heading to the NFL.

Leach’s Trojans had a difficult season on the field. Leach coached his final game this past Saturday in a 35-6 loss at Corinth Holders. Garner ended the season 1-9 and ranked seventh in their conference of eight teams.

Amid the frustrating year, Leach drew attention to himself when he refused to shake hands with Clayton after a 49-0 loss in September.

Parental backlash was almost immediate, and Leach later apologized in a statement to Garner High School parents.

“My decision to not shake hands after the game was made in the heat of the moment,” the statement said. “While I felt justified at the time, cooler heads have shown that it was a poor decision.“

His replacement has not yet been announced.

This story was originally published November 3, 2022 at 1:02 PM.