Dorothy "Dot" McNabb, 87: Pioneer coach at West Georgia College
Dorothy McNabb didn't have truly outstanding athletes at the University of West Georgia.
The coach simply possessed a knack for getting the best out of players, in making them believe. Her style was that of a nurturer, not a shouter, yeller or belittler.
"She never uttered a profanity," said Leslie Nevois, a retired Carrollton city schools educator and friend. "She was a gentle encouraging spirit. She could make an athlete."
Maybe that's why former players wrote, called and visited "Miss Mac," who spent 35 years as an instructor, basketball, volleyball and tennis coach at the Carrollton college.
On Sept. 3, Dorothy McNabb died from complications of Alzheimer's disease and cancer at her home in Carrollton. She was 87. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Carrollton. Almon Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Mac was born in Erwin, Tenn., where she was a 1941 graduate of Unicoi County High and an inductee into its Basketball Hall of Fame.
In 1944, she earned a bachelor's degree in health/physical education from Carson-Newman College. Years later, she got her master's of arts degree from George Peabody College for Teachers.
Her career began at the YWCA in Knoxville, Tenn., as an assistant director of health and recreation. In 1953, she was hired as an associate professor of physical education at West Georgia. She was the school's first head basketball, volleyball and tennis coach, and helped develop women's athletics there and across the Southeast.
In 1976, her hoops squad made the deepest post-season run of any women's sports team in school history. It advanced but lost the championship game of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
For 12 years, Barbara Brown of Carrollton and Miss Mac coached hoops and tennis together.
"Her favorite saying was ‘Little buddy, we are going to have to have a prayer about this,' " she said. "She'd let you know if you did something wrong, but she didn't do that in front of the whole world."
Terry Arthur of Athens played guard for her sister coach from 1959 to 1961, when females played half-court ball. She also played volleyball at the school.
"What set her apart as a coach was her ability to inspire," she said. "Ask anybody and they'll tell you Dot was a pioneer in terms of getting basketball and volleyball started in the intramural program at West Georgia College."
Miss Mac enjoyed success with volleyball, too. She was named volleyball coach of the year for the Southern Women's Athletic Conference three times. She also loved to travel and visited every continent except Antarctica.
In 1988, the year of her retirement, she was inducted into West Georgia's Hall of Fame. A summer day camp held at the school bears the world traveler's name.
"She could take average players and produce an amazing team," her sister said. "She could pull it out of you. She was able to relate to younger people so well. She was ageless."
Additional survivors include another sister, Linda Cavness of Piney Flats, Tenn.
