The name Dave Hunter has become synonymous with success in so many facets of Georgia high school athletics. His success was not just limited to his ability to lead his football teams to the highest echelons of glory on the gridiron but success was also clearly demonstrated in his ability to mobilize his local community to fund multi-million- dollar athletic facilities. The amazing thing about that is these projects were accomplished without the aid of any tax dollars!
Dave wore the title of “Coach” at East Cobb Junior High School (1966-1969); Ridgeview High School (1969-1971); Chamblee High School (1972-1976); Peachtree High School (1976-1987) and at Brookwood High School (1987-2002). Most would consider the fifteen years at Brookwood High School to be his finest coaching years where his teams walked away with 149 wins and only 35 losses and winning five region championships (1988, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998); one state runner-up (1988) and one state championship (1996). Dave’s overall coaching record ended in 2002 at 176-51-1.
During his tenure as football coach he was named Coach of the Year by the Gwinnett Touchdown Club (1988, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998); Region 8-AAAA Coach of the Year (1987, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003); Atlanta Touchdown Club AAAA Coach of the Year (1988, 1996); Georgia/Florida All Star Game Head Coach (1990); Macon Touchdown Club Coach of the Year (1996); and Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year (1996). In 1999-2000 Dave Hunter was selected by the Atlanta Journal as the Sportsman of the Decade.
Even though his days of leading his teams from the sideline ended at Brookwood in 2002, Dave had much more to give. He then became Brookwood High School’s Director of Athletics and guided the entire athletic program to be mentioned as one of the top athletic programs in the State of Georgia year after year. It was during his tenure as Director of Athletics that he developed the reputation as someone who could “get things done.” He inspired the Brookwood community to fund the construction of a 1.2 million- dollar field house, to upgrade all the practice fields, improve the parking facilities, add the first soft surface track in Gwinnett County and enlarge the Brookwood Community Stadium.
Even though Dave’s coaching days centered mainly in football, as the Director of Athletics, he understood the importance of supporting the coaches in every sport. He was involved in the building of a new 2,500 seat gymnasium which included an indoor track and upgraded weight room and dressing areas. Dave did not stop there but was also instrumental in the construction of a 1,500 seat baseball stadium, a state of the arts women’s softball complex, and a 3,000 square foot meeting and entertainment building referred to as “The Lodge”. In over twenty years Dave Hunter was the primary fund-raiser for nearly 3 million dollars at Brookwood High School. Everything he touched seemed to turn to gold! Because of his leadership as an Athletics Director he garnered GADA’s Athletic Director of the Year- State of Georgia (1991) and the GADA’s AAAA Athletic Director of the Year (1996).
If that was not enough, Coach Hunter found time to serve as the Executive Director of the Gwinnett Touchdown Club (11 years), Executive Director of the Corky Kell Kickoff Classic held in the Georgia Dome, and Executive Committee Member of the Georgia High School Association (25 years).
As a result of the tremendous respect he has earned as a coach and a high- profile leader in Gwinnett County and in the entire State of Georgia Dave Hunter was inducted into the Gwinnett County’s Sports Hall of Fame (2013) and to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association (GACA) in 2017. Now the Georgia Athletic Directors Association (GADA) Board would like to honor and recognize Dave Hunter by inducting him into the 2018 class of the GADA’s Hall of Fame. Thank you Dave, for your dedication, commitment and excellent service as one of the premier AD’s in Georgia.
