The Roast of Tony Ingle, former Dalton State College basketball coach, was held at the Dalton Golf and Country Club to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs. Featured “roasters” included, Brady Creel (Tony’s high school coach), Derek Waugh (former athletic director at Dalton State College), Bobby Cremins (former Georgia Tech coach), Tubby Smith (head basketball coach at High Point University and former head coach at University of Kentucky), and Bob Reinhart (former Atlanta Hawks and Georgia State University coach). Coach Ingle also spoke.
Coach Ingle is a two-time national championship coach, winning at Kennesaw State NCAA D II and at Dalton State NAIA D II. He is also a four time National Coach of the Year and served as an assistant interim basketball coach at Brigham Young University at which time the BYU Cougars won 3 WAC championships and went to 5 NCAA tournaments and one NIT. Coach Ingle worked as an NBA scout for the Utah Jazz, and was selected in two Hall of Fames – Cherokee County Sports Hall of Fame and Gordon State College.
Coach Ingle was born in Dalton and was a star player at North Whitfield High School, where he won MVP honors in his junior and senior years. In 1971, he was named First Team All-Tri State Squad by the Chattanooga Free Press.
During the two years he was a player at Dalton Junior College, the Roadrunners won the state and regional championships. He also played at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Al.
In 1976, Coach Ingle joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is married to Jeanne Whitworth of Dalton, and they have five children and nine grandchildren. He has always said that, although winning championships is important, loving The Lord with ‘all our heart, might, mind and strength,’ and serving others is the key to joy (D&C 59:5). As President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says, “If you want to have joy in life, follow the Savior’s way.”
“Following the Savior’s way means serving others, especially our youth,” Coach Ingle said. “I commend the Boys and Girls Clubs of America for providing ‘kids and teens with a safe place to develop essential skills’ and I support their mission to help young people to reach their full potential. They can always count on me to stand with them. I thank everyone who was a part of this benefit, and I encourage everyone to share the joy of giving.”