FRANKLIN, Tenn. — New Hope Academy celebrated the life of one of the top track and field coaches in the history of the sport by renaming the Upper School wing to the Coach Edward S. Temple Upper School Wing during a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon.

Temple, who passed away on Sept. 22, 2016 at the age of 89, began working with New Hope Academy in 2010 until his passing in 2016. He coached the

Tigerbelles from 1953 to 1994 and served as head coach of the U.S. Olympics women’s teams in 1960 and 1964 and assistant coach in 1980.

“It’s exciting today to be here at New Hope Academy as they honor Coach Temple,” TSU Director of Track and Field Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice said.

“He’s leaving a legacy, and I know that New Hope Academy was really dear to Coach Temple. I’m excited to be part of it, and it means so much to me to be here.”

Temple coached his teams to more than 30 national titles and led 40 athletes to the Olympics.

The famed Tigerbelles earned a total of 27 Olympic medals, 15 of which were gold.

Those in attendance for the ceremony included TSU Director of Track and Field Chandra Cheeseborough-Guice, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, Coach Temple’s daughter Edwina Temple and Tigerbelles Edith McGuire Duvall, Derica Dunn-Moody and Wyomia Tyus, among others.

New Hope Academy Headmaster Stuart Tutler had this to say on honoring Coach Temple: “It’s special for us in the sense that he did so much for our nation and what he taught his Tigerbelles, especially the part about education. The fact that all of them graduated and many have master’s degrees and Ph.D.s, speaks volumes to what he instilled in them. That’s the kind of drive I want in our students here at New Hope Academy. Coach came every year and he would talk to them about how important it was for them to take their time and learn and forget about every other distraction. It was very good for him to be here and for our kids to see that.”