Herman Boone (born October 28, 1935 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina) is a former football coach at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. In the year 2000, Boone was honored with the Walt Disney production of "Remember the Titans," starring Denzel Washington.
Boone graduated from the now closed Booker T. Washington High School in Rocky Mount in 1954 and attended North Carolina Central University. His pursuit of excellence took him to North Carolina College in Durham, NC. Where, in 1958, he received his B.A. and M.S. Degrees.As a young person, Herman was highly recruited and he decided to become a teacher and coach, so that he might motivate other youngsters, as he had been early in his childhood.In 1958 Herman accepted his first teaching and coaching position at the I.H. Foster High School in Blackstone, Virginia, North Carolina where he coached football, basketball and baseball. His teams were outstanding with very impressive statistics with twenty-six wins, six losses and three district championships.
In 1961, Herman fulfilled his strong desire to return to his home state of North Carolina to continue his coaching and teaching career. He accepted a coaching position at the E.J. Hayes High School in Williamson, NC. Inspired and motivated to win, his football teams in North Carolina amassed an astonishing record of 99 wins and 8 losses in a nine-year period. His 1966 football team was recognized by Scholastic Coach’s Magazine as “The Number One Football Team in America”. Herman has been selected coach of the year six times and is the author of many articles for several national magazines. In 1969, the Williamston, NC school board informed Herman that the town of Williamson “was not ready for a black head coach”, so with mixed emotions, Herman accepted an assistant football coaching position at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.
In 1971, the city of Alexandria decided to totally integrate its school system and appointed Herman as its first consolidated head football coach over a legendary white coach Bill Yoast with several years seniority and a steadfast citywide following. He was honored to have been selected, but extremely apprehensive about the challenges that lay ahead.
Remarkably, Herman was able to pull together and solidify a diverse coaching staff and an unfocused group of young boys into the most powerful football team in the state of Virginia. This team was ranked second in the nation by national polls.The willingness of these young men to talk to each other, along with their determination to win, brought together a city torn apart by prejudice and hatred.Even during the matches one can see the mingling of black and white supporters at the stand. In December 1971, president Richard M. Nixon was quoted as saying, “ the team saved the city of Alexandria”.
Although history might not remember the names of such people as Herman Boone and Bill Yoast, it is because of them that Virginia and now the world will always remember the Titans of Alexandria.
The incident and the integration of the football team are the subject of the film Remember the Titans. Boone was portrayed in the movie by Denzel Washington. Retired from coaching, Boone currently enjoys a career as a public speaker at functions regarding his time as a high school football coach at T.C. Williams High School.
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl, which is a game between high school All-American seniors from the East and West side of the country, has an award named after him, The Herman Boone Trophy, given to the team who wins the game.
Boone is half Eastern Cherokee, and has participated in coaching a Native American version of the game. His mother was born on a reservation in North Carolina. Boone was the youngest of eight brothers and sisters. He currently lives with his wife Carol in Alexandria, Virginia. They have three daughters, Sharron, Donna & Monica. Sharron works at the U.S. patent and Trademark office. They also have three grandchildren Mackenzie, Myles and Lauren.
Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated. Became a member through the Tau Psi chapter of North Carolina Central University.
Coach Boone is a good friend of Coach Willie Jeffries, dating back to when the two were assistant coaches in North Carolina. Coach Boone wrote a letter of recommendation in support of Jeffries' induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. In it, Boone wrote, "Without his leadership and example, there would not have been Remember the Titans or the advancement in race relations in sports that we have witnessed."
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