The Tennessee Football Coaches Association has elected longtime Upper Cumberland Coach Jimmy Maynord to its 2026 Hall of Fame class.
Maynord finished his coaching career at Cookeville with a 55-45 record. Over his career, Maynord finished 234-126. He also coached at White County, Upperman, and Smith County. He was hired as the athletic director at Upperman in 2024.
“Well, obviously, it’s a great honor to be included with the coaches from the past that have been inducted, a lot of great coaches that have been inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Maynord said. “And it’s just, it’s an honor to, obviously, join that group.”
Maynord said he knows many of the previous inductees and has even coached alongside some of them. He described the selection as a surprising moment in his career.
“You know, you always cherish the young men that you had an opportunity to to be around and help develop, not only on the football field, but with their life and help them to grow up and and be a part of their life,” Maynord said. “That’s always very important.”
Beyond the players, the veteran coach highlighted the unique bond shared among coaching staffs and even opposing leaders. He emphasized that coaches often share ideas and maintain a close-knit group despite the competition.
“We have high standards, always had high standards for our players,” Maynord said. “Wanted them to not only be good football players, but be good citizens, be good people in school, conduct themselves.”
Maynord said he knew he wanted to pursue coaching as early as middle school and credited his success to the dedicated assistants who worked alongside him for nearly 20 years. He also acknowledged the support of his wife, children, and parents throughout his tenure.
“Proud that that I could be like I said inducted into into this great group of great group of men and outstanding coaches and just something that I’ll always cherish,” Maynord said.
Maynord will be formally inducted with the Class of 2026.
