Coach Skinner

A 77-year-old basketball coach died today after a hard-fought bout with Alzheimer's disease. A tragedy, for sure. But his name will live on...it will be printed on music festival posters, announced enthusiastically by classic rock radio disc jockeys, and adored by onlookers at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Coach Skinner wasn't the most popular guy at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida, during the sixties. He sported a flat-top haircut, and apparently wanted all of his male students to do the same. One budding guitarist in particular, named Gary Rossington, protested the coach's policies by naming the future greatest-Southern-rock-band-ever after him.

Now that's revenge.

Yes, as you no doubt figured out by now, the Coach's first name was Leonard. Leonard Skinner. I'm guessing the coach's oppressive tactics earned him the nickname Leonard Skinnerd, which eventually the band reshuffled to form their final name, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

But oh, the fun didn't stop there. According to this ABC News story:

"[Skinner] also got a second helping of fame after he started selling property. A lawn sign featuring his name and telephone number appeared among the illustrations on their third album, 1975's Nuthin' Fancy. He was soon inundated with thousands of telephone calls from around the world at all hours of the day and night..."

Interesting story. And so, farewell Coach Skinner. Fly high, free bird.