Lindy Callahan, a Gulfport sports legend, passed away Wednesday at the age of 97.
Born in Vicksburg and raised in Meridian, Callahan was a dual-sport athlete at Ole Miss, playing both football and baseball. After graduation, he played professional baseball in the Cotton States League and Alabama/Florida League from 1951-53.
He then turned the cleats in for a clipboard, accepting a job as coach and teacher at Gulfport High School in 1953. The move proved invaluable as he would embark on a nearly four-decade career on the prep level.
Callahan served in various roles at Gulfport High School from 1953-65, including head football coach, head baseball coach, and athletic director. During the early 1960s, Callahan established a football dynasty when his Commodores won three state championships, won 35 consecutive conference games, and compiled a record of 54-5-4 across five seasons. He stepped away from his coaching duties to concentrate on his role as athletic director in 1965.
Considered one of the most innovative and skilled administrators in the history of Mississippi high school sports, Callahan served as president of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, the Mississippi Association of Coaches, and the Mississippi Athletic Directors.
Callahan was inducted into nine halls of fame over the course of his career, including the National Federation of High Schools Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame, Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame, and the Gulfport Sports Hall of Fame.
In recognition of his outstanding service to high school athletes for nearly four decades, the MHSAA established the Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete program in 1995. Three years prior, the Gulfport School District recognized him by naming the playing field at Milner Stadium in his honor.
Callahan is survived by his wife, Ann, two sons, one daughter, and 17 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 26, at St. James Catholic Church in Gulfport.
