VALDOSTA — He was The Man when it came to Clinch County football.

Donald Tison was one of Clinch County’s first football stars, and one of the first Panthers to play college football. Then he took the reigns of his alma mater, and coached them straight to powerhouse status.

Probably no man has done more for Clinch County football than Donald Tison.

Tison, who coached Clinch County’s football team for 20 years, passed away Saturday in Jacksonville at the age of 52. He had suffered a brain aneurysm in 1997 and recovered, but recently had complications, which led to his death.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. today at Homerville Congregational Methodist Church. All of Tison’s former players are invited to be honorary pallbearers. Internment will be in the Shiloh Church Cemetery.

Tison coached Clinch from 1974-1993, going 148-72-6. He coached Clinch to two state titles (1988 and 1991) and seven region championships. Going into this season, he ranked 82nd among Georgia prep football coaches in wins.

Tison won state Coach of the Year honors for Class A in 1988 and 1991. He coached four teams that made it to the state title game.

A former Clinch County star himself, he held the school’s career rushing record until 1988. He went on to play collegiately at Henderson State.

When Tison took over the Clinch program in 1974, the Panthers had been a below average teamyear after year, with only three winning seasons in its first 22 seasons.

His first season didn’t go too well, either– 1-9 in 1974. But Tison would have only two more losing seasons, and both of those would come the year after region championships.

It was quickly clear that Tison was changing things. In his second season, the Panthers went 8-2-1, then 8-3 in 1976. In 1980, Clinch won its first region championship, and made it all the way to the state championship game against Greenville, then followed that up with another region title in 1981. In 1987, Tison coached Clinch back to the Class A state title game, which they lost to Lincoln County. Nevertheless, that 12-1 record was the best in school history.

In 1988, though, Tison and his Panthers would finally reach the pinnacle. The Panthers won their first 12 games again, and once again, met Lincoln County for the state title. This time, the Panthers won,

In 1991, Clinch won their second state championship, again against Lincoln. This time, Tison’s Panthers snapped Lincoln’s then-state record 44-game winning streak in winning the title.

In 1993, Tison retired from coaching to go into administration. He served as Clinch County High’s assistant principal, then became the principal. He retired from the school system due to health reasons in 1999.

Tison also was Clinch’s longtime athletic director. As athletic director, he oversaw 12 CCHS state titles– two in football, two in boys basketball, three in girls basketball and five in baseball, including Clinch’s Triple Crown of 1988-89, when the Panthers won state in football, basketball and baseball.

Even after leaving coaching, he always remained close to his beloved Panther football team, and last December, he saw Clinch win its third state title, 50-14 over Dooly County.