Dr. Nathanial Hearne

The award winning television series Friday Night Lights was based on the book and movie of the same name which followed the story of the Permian High School football team in 1988.  Set in Odessa, Texas, these real-life stories captured the struggles and joys of teen athletes in small town America. Dr. Nathanial Hearne was Permian High’s first African American football coach at the time who had a key influence on the lives of his players.

In 2014, Hearne shared his experiences as a coach and guardian of young people in his own book Friday Night Lights: Untold Stories from Behind the Lights. In it Dr. Hearne presents wisdom and the principles of excellence through his own stories about Permian football. Coach Hearne challenges us to take account of the legacy each of us will leave behind.