Crawford County legend Zachery spent half his life with the Eagles, passes away

By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          He was taller than almost every player he coached, and had the frown and face of a coach with high standards and little patience for low standards.

          But the Clyde Zachery off the court bore almost no similarity, a bright and personal and somewhat soft-spoken giant was about more than basketball.

          The Central Georgia basketball coaching legend died Wednesday at the age of 80.

          Zachery’s wife Bettye died in March of 2023 at 77.

          Visitation is Friday at Greater Faith Babies Ministries in Fort Valley from 4-6:30 p.m. Services are Saturday, Dec. 20 at noon at Greater Faith.

          He was pretty much a Crawford County lifer, taking over in 1980 and succeeding another Central Georgia basketball coaching legend, J.B. Hawkins, eight years after starting at the school.

          He coached one of the game’s biggest names in the 1980s, Kenny “Sky” Walker, who posted a short tribute to his coach. The Eagles won state titles in 1981 and 1982 with Walker sprint the floor in Roberta and Zachery stalking the sideline.

Crawford team has ‘brought that spirit of basketball back’

          Zachery was the Macon Telegraph’s Middle Georgia coach of the year after a 27-4 season in 2014-15 and a trip to the AA championship game.

          The Eagles reached the semifinals a year later. He coached the Crawford County girls to a state runner-up finish in 1980.

          Zachery retired at the end of the 2019-20 school year, ostensibly concerned about his health amid the COVID pandemic.

          He never kept tabs on his career record, but cruised past 1,000 wins at some point.

          The Newnan native was more than a basketball man, drawing attention of some major league teams as a young pitcher with a mid-90s fastball before his arm quit on him.