Former Piper Coach, Bill Grissom, to be Inducted into Big Country Hall of Fame

By Tracy Carter

On April 24th the Big Country Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held at the Abilene Civic Center. This year the Pipers will have a former coach inducted into the Hall of Fame. Bill Grissom, who coached football and track at Hamlin ISD back in the 70's will be honored along with a couple of other area former athletes and coaches. Grissom was McMurry's leading rusher in 1963 and 1964 in his junior and senior year and has the great good luck to be a survivor of a belly landing plane crash involving McMurry football players! After graduation from McMurry Coach Grissom started his coaching career that spanned 34 years coaching at not only Hamlin but Breckenridge, Stanton, Colorado City, and Coleman. As a football coach he recorded 9 district championships, and made 13 play-off appearances. In 1973 and 1974 he coached track for the Pipers with his teams bringing home back-to-back state titles while running on a graded out oval that served as the football parking lot. He coached such Hamlin greats as Bill, Cork, Johnny Jones. the McAfee twins, Ronnie Maberry, David Willis, and Ray Scifres among many others. He also recorded 7 district titles in track as well. Congratulations on a well deserved honor Coach Grissom!
This is the BC Hall of Fame's annual fundraiser. Anyone wishing to attend may purchase tickets for $75 apiece or a table that will seat 8 for $1000. This money goes to provide scholarships for local athletes and is the organization's only fundraiser.