‘He was remarkable’: Remembering former Pine Forest coach Gary Weller

Friends and colleagues of former Pine Forest football coach Gary Weller praised him as a man of intensity and organization, but most of all as someone who cared deeply for his players and worked hard to help make them better on and off the field.

Weller, 75, died Sept. 17, bringing to end a life and career that saw him bounce back from incredible tragedy to continue to make contributions in both the worlds of athletics and finance during his final 20 years.

Weller built his reputation locally as head football coach for the Trojans, arriving in the late 1970s. He served two stints at Pine Forest, taking a brief exit in the early 1980s to serve on the staff of football coach Ed Emory at East Carolina University.

During his 15 seasons with the Trojans, Weller was 98-61 and had only two losing seasons. His best records were 11-2 in 1978 and 12-1 in 1980.

Charles Davenport, who played for Weller in the mid-1980s, then went on to play at N.C. State University, said Weller went the extra mile to support his players.

“He’d come into the neighborhood and help us get to school and practice,’’ Davenport said. “In my neighborhood that was powerful, a white guy coming to a Black area.’’

Davenport said as Weller invested in his players, he became involved with their families and showed an interest in their success.

Weller’s world was shattered in 2004 as he was out for a walk in his neighborhood. In an incident that drew widespread media coverage, a Fayetteville man stole a city van and deliberately ran down five people, killing one and injuring the other four. Weller was among the injured.

A longtime friend of Weller’s and former Cumberland County Schools principal Bob Barnes was quoted by WRAL-TV at the time saying Weller would likely require hip and knee replacements along with extensive work on his lower legs.

Weller spent two years recovering, but developed a successful finance and insurance business, helping countless people secure their financial futures.

“He was not about self-pity,’’ Davenport said. “If something happens, we adjust, we adapt and we overcome. He could have balled up and went away in a corner. I look up and he’s out on the golf course. I admire that. I love him.’’

Weller also remained a strong supporter of high school football, especially at Pine Forest, but he also followed other schools where he had friends coaching. He even took his expertise into the media world as he became a color commentator for local high school football broadcasts.

Weller was ultimately honored for his accomplishments by the Fayetteville Sports Club with induction into its Hall of Fame in 2023.

Trey Edge, voice of the Terry Sanford Bulldogs, spent time calling games with Weller some 15 years ago when they were working with the late Don Koonce and DK Sports.

“He was always smiling,’’ Edge said. “He was just this kind of tough football coach, who when you got beyond that was just incredibly easy to talk to. He’s one of the nicest men I’ve ever known.’’

Jimmy Teague coached with Weller briefly in the 1980s and would go on to build a highly successful program at Reidsville High School.

He first met Weller at a summer workout, walking in the gym to find 120 players lined up for a workout. “That was always one of my goals, be as organized as I could,’’ Teague said. “He had it down to a tee.’’

Teague also praised Weller for letting his coaches coach the position they were assigned and not try to micromanage. “Coach the coaches and let them coach the players, that was what Gary wanted to do,’’ he said.

Dean Saffos coached at both Pine Forest and E.E. Smith, and said Weller was an innovator, being among the first to use the no-huddle offense. “We didn’t know what to do,’’ Saffos said of first seeing Weller use the tactic. “He could give you a lot of trouble with his ideas.’’

Saffos added Weller was a great inspiration with the way in which he turned a tragedy into a productive life after the accident. “I thought he was remarkable,’’ Saffos said.

Current Pine Forest coach Bill Sochovka said he’s received calls from Seventy-First coach Duran McLaurin, Cape Fear coach Jake Thomas and Triton coach Ben Penny, all telling him that Weller has long been an ambassador for high school football in a large portion of eastern North Carolina. 

“He always understood that even though the game has evolved, it always came down to who works the hardest, who wants it the most, and putting your team in the best position to win,’’ Sochovka said of Weller.

Sochovka lamented with the recent passing of veteran coaches like Weller, Bob Paroli and John Daskal, an opportunity is being missed for young coaches to sit down and speak with them about what coaching is really about. “You understand why they did it, and what passion means,’’ he said.