McCarty to speak at chamber dinner
Tim McCarty, the former Tabor College football coach who led the Bluejays to one of the biggest turnarounds in Kansas football history, will return to Hillsboro Feb. 19 to be the keynote speaker at the chamber of commerce annual dinner.
The dinner, which begins at 6 p.m. at Parkview Mennonite Brethren Church, will include the announcement of the winner of the business of the year award from among three nominees — Golden Heritage Foods, City of Hillsboro, and Parkside Homes.
Win or lose, a proven winner will be delivering the pep talk.
McCarty, who wrapped up his first season as Kansas State's assistant head coach and offensive line coach, is considered to be a master motivator, Wulf said.
He built Tabor College into an NAIA power from the ground up.
In his first season at Tabor in 1999, the Bluejays had just 14 players in the program and struggled through an 0-10 campaign.
But improvements followed rapidly as McCarty guided Tabor to a 3-7 record in 2000, a 5-5 mark in 2001, a 6-4 ledger in 2002, and ultimately a 9-2 record in 2003 that saw the Bluejays achieve a No. 15 national ranking.
McCarty was selected as the KCAC Coach of the Year as well as the National Coach of the Year.
McCarty produced nine All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans, and more than 70 conference-recognized players during his five-year tenure at Tabor.
McCarty is married to the former Jillian Bailey of Brentwood, Tenn. The couple has two daughters, Bailey, 13, and Kendall, 11.
The dinner is $15 a ticket, or $100 for an eight-person table. For $30, a local business can sponsor a table with a decorative centerpiece. Call 947-3506 for more information.
