Coach Shirley Yvonne McCray is a Memphis trailblazer recognized as the first woman hired to coach an all-male football team in the United States. She began coaching boys’ football in Memphis during the 1970s and coached for more than 20 years. She also taught and coached several sports throughout Memphis City Schools before retiring in 1997. A University of Memphis graduate, she helped educate and mentor hundreds of inner-city young people and later wrote an autobiography titled Coach McCray. Tri-State Defender⁠ 🎥 @californiaisgold Did you know the 1986 Goldie Hawn comedy Wildcats was inspired by a real-life pioneer? Meet Coach Shirley McCray—the first female high school varsity football coach in the United States! Before breaking barriers on the gridiron in Memphis, Tennessee, Coach McCray helped integrate Memphis State University. She faced immense resistance stepping into the male-dominated world of high school football coaching, but she persisted—leading her teams with compas...