The City of Champaign will honor ‘Coach’ Gary Hembrough by dedicating a portion of Crescent Drive, between John Street and Sangamon Street, as Honorary ‘Coach’ Hembrough Way. The honorary street sign will be unveiled on Thursday, October 24, 2013, at 10 a.m. during a ceremony at the intersection of Crescent Drive and William Street in Champaign.
Gary Hembrough was a resident of Champaign for over fifty years. During that time, he played football at the University of Illinois (1958-1962) and went on to coach at the U of I. He later became a coach at Centennial High School and led the team to its first state conference playoff in 1984. Coach Gary Hembrough passed away on October 9, 2012.