#myCaptureLink({'contentId' : VersionedContentId(1.73579.1357256525), '':''}) Former Mosley High School basketball coach Tommy Long is pictured on the sideline with the Citronelle (Ala.) Wildcats Dec. 21. Long died of a heart attack Dec. 23 at 59.
Contributed photo Mike Kittrell, al.com
Published: Thursday, January 3, 2013 at 18:42 PM.
Tommy Long?s life ended while preparing to do the Lord?s work and he will be remembered for a legacy stretching beyond the basketball court.
The former Mosley boys basketball coach died of a heart attack near Mobile, Ala., Dec. 23 prior to a service at Smithtown Baptist Church where he served as pastor. He was 59.
Long graduated from Pensacola High School and attended Gadsden State Junior College and the University of West Florida while participating in basketball. He joined the Marines upon college graduation in 1974 and spent nine years in the military. His 24-year coaching career took him to Bay High School as an assistant and he was head coach at Wewahitchka and Mosley, the latter from 2003-07.
Long recently was coach at Citronelle, a school north of Mobile. He was named the Mobile County Coach of the year in 2007-08, his first season at the school, and had guided the Wildcats to a 5-3 record this season with his final game two days before his death.
Long was remembered as a coach with a kind spirit and strict rules, and a mentor who ensured his players were prepared not only for basketball, but for what awaited outside the gymnasium.
?He held basketball players to a higher standard, even higher than those set by the school in terms of grades,? said Jamey Holsombake, who played under Long at Mosley. ?We had mandatory study halls and he made it known that if you didn?t have the grades you didn?t play.?
Holsombake said Long was a good teacher and was approachable. There wasn?t a problem out of reach or any time of day he wouldn?t be available to listen, Holsombake said.
?I liked Coach Long a lot, he was a very good coach and a very good man,? Holsombake said. ?He was a good Christian man, we?d always pray before and after games.?
It was Long?s dedication to his faith that brought him to Smithtown Baptist. He was the church?s pastor for several years, utilizing his teachings he gathered from a master?s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary after leaving the military in 1983.
Long used his seminary education to instill positive traits in his players. He also gave back while helping the less privileged, and aided his players in any fashion.
?He was someone who always strived to teach his basketball teams more than just skills on the court,? said Jenny Long, one of his three children. ?He was a man who was good to everyone he came in contact with.
?Everyone was impacted by him. He tried to put more into their lives, to teach them about integrity and character.?
Longtime friend Lee Anderson, also a former basketball coach, said Long reaffirmed his commitment to the church.
?He really helped me strengthen my faith, we talked a lot about life and he was a great friend,? Anderson said. ?He was always concerned with how his kids were doing in school, he enforced the rules and always meant what he said.?
Anderson will be a pallbearer at Long?s funeral. He also will speak briefly about his friend who he stayed in touch with for more than 10 years. Anderson said Long spoke glowingly about his new team and was excited for what the rest of the season would bring.
Visitation will be held Friday at 11:30 a.m. and funeral services at 12:30 p.m. at Oak Lawn Funeral Home in Pensacola. Burial will take place shortly after the service at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Citronelle Principal Richard Dickson plans to take the team to the funeral. Citronelle was scheduled to play a game Friday, but it has been rescheduled for a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Tommy Long Jr. Memorial Fund at Navy Federal Credit Union in Pensacola. Proceeds from the fund will be used to send a deserving player to the Billy Donovan Basketball Camp that he would otherwise not have the means to attend.
gas prices rising stars challenge star trek 2 kathy ireland brooke mueller all star weekend lent
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.