Coach William D. Dupes

William D. Dupes - age 81 of Sweetwater, died Saturday afternoon, January 8, 2011 at Parkwest Medical Center after a short illness. With his passing, football lost a steadfast partner who understood that coaching was so much more than winning. Coach Bill Dupes was beloved by family, friends, and his former players. Former UT football coach Phil Fulmer remembered his longtime friend as many will be remembering him, saying “I am honored to call Bill Dupes a good and loyal friend. He was a good man, loved his family, loved his friends, and touched many lives as a coach and teacher.” Fulmer added, “I am especially grateful for our time together talking about life, family, football, players, great wins and tough losses. He will be missed, but has left a legacy that made a difference.” Coach Dupes retired as head coach from Sweetwater High School in 1998. His 60 years playing and coaching football netted him inductions into four Halls of Fame (Tennessee Tech ‘79, Austin Peay ‘99, National Collegiate Athletic Association ’03, and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame ‘09). He also received a 1994 Amateur Football Award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. A Sweetwater native, Dupes started his award-winning career with football as a player with the Sweetwater Wildcats, who he would eventually return to coach to the state championship in 1993. An All East Tennessee player at Sweetwater, he went on to Tennessee Tech, where he was an All-Ohio Valley Conference player before graduating in 1952. Upon graduation, he was commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant as a result of four years in ROTC. After two years in the military and promotion to first lieutenant, he returned to start his coaching career as an assistant with the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, who won five conference championships while he was there. In 1963, Dupes took the helm for the Austin Peay Governors before turning full-time to high school football. At APSU, where former players have established the Bill Dupes Scholarship, he was selected unanimously as OVC Coach of the Year and had 23 players earn first-team All-OVC. Also while at APSU, Coach recruited Bonnie Sloan for the Governors. Sloan later became the first deaf player in the NFL when he signed on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973. In 1976, Dupes turned his attention to high school football and returned to his home town, first coaching for five years at TMI and then, in 1983 coming full circle to be head coach of the Sweetwater Wildcats. In 1993, the same year that he coached his team to the AA State Championship, he was also selected Tennessee AA Coach of the Year. Following his retirement in 1998, he continued to volunteer for three years as an assistant coach at Sweetwater. He also spent three years as an assistant coach at Catholic High School in Knoxville. Coach Dupes was honored by a joint resolution by the Tennessee General Assembly upon his retirement, recognizing “the service rendered by our highly successful coaches, who work hard, provide exemplary motivation and train athletes to be good citizens…” Coach Dupes is survived by his wife of 29 years, Peggy Studdard Armstrong Dupes; children, Bill and wife, Susanne of Knoxville; Mark and wife, Hollie, of Atlanta, GA; Donna Ryan, and husband, Paul, of Charlotte, NC; David, of Riceville, TN; Leslie Haywood, and husband, Buck, of Orlando, FL; Jody Armstrong, and wife, Mary, of Spartanburg, SC; Amy Armstrong, of Sweetwater; and six grandchildren. The family will receive friends from 12-2 p.m. Wednesday with services to follow at First United Methodist Church, 501 Church Street, Sweetwater.