A Lifetime of Coaching, Character & Commitment

Born August 12, 1926, in Sevier County, Tennessee, Lester graduated from Pittman Center High School before serving his country in the United States Navy during World War II. Following his military service, he attended Lincoln Memorial University, where he excelled in both basketball and baseball. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1950 and was inducted into the Lincoln Memorial University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 1951, Lester married Mary Elizabeth Watson, affectionately known as “Sib.” They raised three children, all of whom graduated from Harrison Chilhowee Baptist Academy, distinguishing themselves as students and athletes: Karen McCarter Nease (’70), Randy McCarter (’74), and Dale McCarter (’82). Karen and Dale reside in Seymour. Randy resides in Kiowa, Colorado.

Faith and family were central to Coach McCarter’s and Sib’s lives. They were members of Valley Grove Baptist Church for more than 40 years. He served as Chairman of Deacons and Assistant Sunday School Superintendent. Coach McCarter passed away November 2, 2009, and Sib passed away September 8, 2021.

Coach McCarter began his career in education serving as Principal of Seymour Elementary School from 1950 to 1952. He then worked for Knoxville Sporting Goods before beginning what would become a remarkable 27-year career at HCBA.

From the mid-1950s through the 1981–1982 school year, Coach McCarter served as a teacher, coach, mentor, and trusted leader at HCBA. During his tenure, he coached more than 1,500 athletic contests across multiple sports: Football (27 years), Boys Basketball (27 years), Girls Basketball (19 years), and Baseball (12 years).

Averaging more than 50 games each year, Coach McCarter coached between two and four sports each year. His teams achieved several notable accomplishments. During the 1971–1972 basketball season, his boys’ team defeated Brentwood Academy, while the girls’ team finished with a 14–7 record, including victories over Seymour and Brentwood. The 1972–1973 season brought additional success. His football team finished 6–3, while the boys’ basketball team compiled a 22–6 record and captured the District Championship. That team defeated Oak Hill Academy 75–49 and was remembered by Coach McCarter as the “best team I ever coached.” His son Randy averaged 21.4 points per game and earned All-District honors, while Don Rayford averaged 17.5 points per game and was named All-District. The following season, the boys’ basketball team finished 20–6. Randy was among Tennessee’s leading scorers, averaging approximately 21 points per game, while Don Rayford averaged 18 rebounds per game.

Coach McCarter’s greatest accomplishments were not measured in victories or championships. Throughout his career, he coached and influenced students from 11 countries, 22 states, and three Native American nations, as well as athletes who were deaf. As his former players attest today, he believed in teaching fundamentals, developing character, and encouraging every student to give their very best, regardless of natural ability or circumstance.

In addition to coaching multiple sports and at times teaching Health, PE, Social Studies, Driver Ed, or Math, he served as athletic director, trainer, bus driver, custodian, lifeguard, and summer school teacher. Coach McCarter approached his responsibilities with determination, humility, and his trademark sense of humor. When asked by a reporter to list his many responsibilities at HCBA, Coach McCarter did so, then jokingly remarked that he believed the Board was considering employing him full-time the following year.

His commitment to provide for his family and serve his community extended well beyond the school day. At times, Coach McCarter taught school during the day, then worked nights loading freight on the docks at Mason-Dixon Trucking Company, and spent weekends making sales for Knoxville Sporting Goods.

Following his years at HCBA, Coach McCarter briefly coached boys’ basketball at Sevier County High School and girls’ basketball at Seymour High School.

He took wins and losses in stride and was known for finding humor even during the most difficult seasons. During one particularly challenging losing season, he told a reporter, “I live in fear of being arrested for impersonating a coach.” His humor extended to his responsibilities off the field. He once proudly declared that he had driven teams for 14 years without an accident, only to later admit that he had bumped a car in the parking lot and, of all people, it belonged to the referee. He also jokingly identified his greatest strengths as keeping the gym clean, driving safely (mostly), and making mostly straight lines when marking the athletic field.

Perhaps his coaching philosophy was best summarized in his own words: “I’m a poor loser, but I can take it if we do our best.”

He was a Navy veteran, an accomplished athlete, an educator, a coach, a devoted husband and father, a man of faith, and someone who never hesitated to roll up his sleeves and do whatever needed to be done. His induction is a fitting tribute to a life spent making a difference, not only in the games he coached, but in the lives he helped shape.