Larry Shanks - Former UCHS Football H.C.

[Purple & Gold Standard]

Former Union City head coach Larry Shanks (1975-1981) and now defensive coordinator for the Paducah, KY., Tighlman Blue Tornado has his ring....

 

His defensive unit SHUT OUT Somerset 21-0 today at Western Kentucky University in the Kentucky 3A State Championship....Somerset came into the game at 14-0 and had been averaging 37 PPG...

 

Shanks came to Union City from Houston County...After his stay at Union City, he went on to coach at UTM...He was the head coach at Obion Central.I believe he spent some time at Jackson Central-Merry before he went to be the defensive coordinator at Graves County, Ky...

 

Paducah Tighlman ends their season at 9-6...They entered the playoffs at 4-6...At one time they were 3-6....

 

Larry Shanks was the head coach at Union City my first two years at UC....Hall of Fame coach Randy Barnes took over in 1982...Larry still lives in Union City....

 

CONGRATS LARRY SHANKS !!

[Scoob]

I played for coach Shanks when I was at UTM. He is a great defensive coach. I'm glad to hear he is still in the game. I had some great times at UTM and learned a lot of life lessons the hard way and still found a way to get two degees.

Thanks coach

Tom Andrews Fullback 92-93 UTM

[wingman10]

Former Union City head coach Larry Shanks (1975-1981) and now defensive coordinator for the Paducah, KY., Tighlman Blue Tornado has his ring....

 

His defensive unit SHUT OUT Somerset 21-0 today at Western Kentucky University in the Kentucky 3A State Championship....Somerset came into the game at 14-0 and had been averaging 37 PPG...

 

Shanks came to Union City from Houston County...After his stay at Union City, he went on to coach at UTM...He was the head coach at Obion Central.I believe he spent some time at Jackson Central-Merry before he went to be the defensive coordinator at Graves County, Ky...

 

Paducah Tighlman ends their season at 9-6...They entered the playoffs at 4-6...At one time they were 3-6....

 

Larry Shanks was the head coach at Union City my first two years at UC....Hall of Fame coach Randy Barnes took over in 1982...Larry still lives in Union City....

 

CONGRATS LARRY SHANKS !!

thanks and congrats

[uctfan]

I am so happy for coach Shanks and his family. Just think of the many, many hours he has put in over the years and his day has finally come about 40 years later.

 

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

 

Congrats Coach Shanks, I know Paducah Tilman is very blessed to have you on their staff.

[rebfan65]

I too am very happy for Coach Shanks! Could not have happened to a better person or coach. He did so much for me personally when I was nothing more than a trainer/manager for Obion Central. Gave me rides home from practice and games and many more things I can't recall. Not many coaches would remember a manager he had on a team he coached ten years ago but he still comes up and talks to me and shakes my hand whenever I see him out. Great man and great coach! Congrats Coach!

 

Danny Craddock

OC Rebels 1997-1999

[uctfan]

I too am very happy for Coach Shanks! Could not have happened to a better person or coach. He did so much for me personally when I was nothing more than a trainer/manager for Obion Central. Gave me rides home from practice and games and many more things I can't recall. Not many coaches would remember a manager he had on a team he coached ten years ago but he still comes up and talks to me and shakes my hand whenever I see him out. Great man and great coach! Congrats Coach!

 

Danny Craddock

OC Rebels 1997-1999

He does that to most all his former players and students.

 

He really has had to wait a long time for this. He told me the day after he took the job at Tilman, the head coach ( former player of Shanks ) ask him to come and run his defense. Coach said he had to do what he had to do.

 

He also said Tilman had tons of talent and just needed a little time. He didn't know it would happen this soon though.

 

Good Job Coach Shanks!!

[coachnobody]

Just moments after the ball went thru the goal post on Jorge's kick, I thought of my friend and mentor: Coach Larry Shanks. The man who taught me the entire game of football when I was on his staff at OCCHS. The fact that I had helped a team acheive the goal that every team in this great country starts out with and very, very few ever win. I got to touch the gold ball soon after leaving the coaches skybox at Tucker Stadium and the fact that Coach Shanks had never enjoyed this overwhelming feeling, just did'nt feel right to me.

 

I was thinking that his grandson, Joseph, a member of the Union City team that just won the championship game and his grandfather who had coached all his life without achieving a gold football.

 

As fate turns out....Coach Shank's team was playing for the state championship the next day in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Paducah team won and "COACH" had his 1st gold ball.

 

God is an awesome God! Just think, Coach Shanks and his grandson Joseph, both get the gold ball and the championship's in two different state's within a few hours of each other.

 

Congrads, Coach.....

 

Coach Phil Green, Union City High School

[devilsden]

I watched most of the game on TV and a thought just hit me. I dont remember UC ever throwing a pass. That makes for great football, run it down your throat football.

[wilsonwave2]

Congratulations to Coach Shanks! For those oldtimers out there, do you remember Coach Shanks' 1st play-off game? We played Memphis Mitchell @ UTM (1976)and it snowed so much that the field had to be lined with green chalk! We lost 22-20,but the foundation was laid by Coach Shanks and his staff. There were some great players on that team: Dale Logan, Bart Dilday, Tony Hunt, Mark Speed, Tim Nipp, and Greg Zipp! Thank you Coach Shanks and congrats again for your championship, but most of all, thank you for teaching young men how to be champions in life!

 

 

Mark Wilson

UCHS '79

[Bocephus]

I'll never forget that time coach got so mad at Larry Miller that he ripped helmet off in the middle of practice and threw it in the trash can! That memory, and that one season where he wouldn't let us drink water before, during, or after practice are what I love about coach!

[Purple & Gold Standard]

Congratulations to Coach Shanks! For those oldtimers out there, do you remember Coach Shanks' 1st play-off game? We played Memphis Mitchell @ UTM (1976)and it snowed so much that the field had to be lined with green chalk! We lost 22-20,but the foundation was laid by Coach Shanks and his staff. There were some great players on that team: Dale Logan, Bart Dilday, Tony Hunt, Mark Speed, Tim Nipp, and Greg Zipp! Thank you Coach Shanks and congrats again for your championship, but most of all, thank you for teaching young men how to be champions in life!

 

 

Mark Wilson

UCHS '79

 

I remember that game....My most vivid memory of that season was playing in Princeton, Ky against Caldwell County but boy it sure was cold at that playoff game....CC got the benefit of some very questionable calls and they ruined a perfect regular season...If I remember right the final was 20-17.....

 

Tony Hunt ended up a kicker at Memphis State ??...Mark Speed is Colton Speed's(QB on last year's team) dad ??...Gregg Zipp is Zach Caveness'(plays on this year's team) uncle..Joseph Shanks(freshman on this year's team) is Larry's grandson...

 

Coach Shanks got the ball rolling on building the Fieldhouse and I think he got the new home side grandstand and pressbox built....