Legendary Tennessee high school football coach Carlton Flatt passes away at 82

A Tennessee high school football coach who won 10 state championships passed away at age 82. The Tennesseean’s Paul Skrbina reported that Carlton Flatt passed away on March 23 at 2:19 a.m. local time.

Flatt turned down job opportunities from Boeing and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to build the Brentwood Academy football program. In addition to ten state titles, he also coached the Eagles to a 355-68-3 record and 10 runner-up finishes. Brentwood Academy also experienced six undefeated seasons and three winning streaks of at least 31 games each.

In addition to Tennessee high school football, Flatt also coached baseball, basketball, and athletics at Brentwood Academy. He also worked as a teacher and an athletic director during his 38-year tenure with the school.

In 2023, The Tennessean named Carlton Flatt as the greatest high school football coach from Nashville since 1960. He is also a member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Flatt is also a part of the Austin Peay Athletics Hall of Fame, and Brentwood Academy named its football field after him.

While guiding Brentwood Academy in sports, Flatt also took the fight to the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association. The TSSAA fined Brentwood $3,000 and imposed a playoff ban for alleged recruitment violations. Flatt sent messages to the parents of incoming Brentwood Academy student-athletes about an optional spring practice.

Flatt fought the decision and filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the punishments violated the First Amendment. The legal tussle reached the Supreme Court. However, the TSSAA eventually won when the court upheld the governing body’s authority over recruitment rules.

Though he fought in court, this legendary Tennessee high school football coach cannot shake off Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2017.