BIO

Coach Ronnie Gage, a Texas football legend, coached football in Texas for 42 years before retiring, compiling one of the most enviable winning records in state history. His accolades include three high school championship rings—two as a coach and one as an athletic director. He was the first coach in Texas to win a championship at the 5-A level in both Division 1 and Division 2. He was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association's Hall of Honor. He served as president of the Texas High School Coaches Association, an organization of over 18,000 members. He served on the board of directors and was selected to serve on the advisory board of the THSCA. 

In 2004, Coach Gage was chosen Citizen of The Year for Lewisville, TX. He was voted District Coach of the Year seven times, Texas Sportswriters Coach of the Year two times, and Dallas All Sports Association Coach of the Year two times. He had his 1996 team recognized on a Cheerios Box and was chosen by Fox Sports as the Coach Who Makes a Difference in 1999. In 2017, he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in his hometown of Decatur, TX.

Coach Gage coached the Austin College football team from 2006 to 2009 and coached the 61-year-old placekicker Tom Thompson, who set two NCAA records.

Over 40 players who have played for Coach Gage are in the coaching profession today, including his son James and daughter Julianne, who are both teaching/coaching. He has been married to his high school sweetheart Stephanie for 43 years.

Coach Gage offers a wealth of insight to coaches, teachers, family members, or any professionals who aspire to be in a leadership role in his inspirational and motivational memoir, The Life Coach: Small-Town Lessons on Faith, Family, and Football, (Clovercroft Publishing/Ingram Content Group), co-written with author, professor, researcher, motivational speaker, coach and NCAA record holder, Dr. Emmet C. (Tom) Thompson II, and Alice Sullivan. The Life Coach offers readers sound life and leadership principles based on the individual effort and team-first mentality required for a successful football season—and a successful life.

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THE LIFE COACH

BOOK FEATURE

In small-town Decatur, Texas, football was life. And Ronnie Gage couldn’t wait to become a Decatur Eagle. His football ability was decent, but he knew there wasn’t a big demand for a 150-pound center and safety, so he focused his career goals on the next best thing—coaching. This provided a way to give back to a sport, and a community, who had given him so much. 

Nearly 40 years later, after countless winning seasons and championships, Coach Gage found himself in a unique situation, coaching an unusual player. When Emmet (Tom) Thompson joined the Austin College football team as a spry 59-year-old kicker, Coach Gage had his doubts. But Thompson’s dedication and tenacity spoke for himself on the field, and the two men forged an unshakable friendship built on their three loves—faith, family, and football. 

In The Life Coach, Coach Gage shares the important life lessons he’s learned both on and off the field. Tom Thompson—kicking coach, author, and speaker—lends supporting anecdotes based on his many years in leadership roles. Together, they hope to inspire players and parents, coaches and crowds, to live a life of faith on and off the field, to make the most of every opportunity, and to have fun while doing it.

VIDEO INTERVIEW

In this video with Life Today Live (with host Randy Robison), legendary Texas Coach Gage talks about the young men he led and the lessons he learned about faith, family, and football.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Coach Gage at various events throughout his illustrious football career.

PRESS RELEASES

• AUTHOR & COACH RONNIE GAGE RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL’S TOP COACHES OF THE PAST 100 YEARS

• COACH, AUTHOR, & RECENT NFF LEGENDS AWARD RECIPIENT RONNIE GAGE TO BE FEATURED SPEAKER AT CHRISTIAN EDUCATORS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT FEBRUARY, 19, 2022