FVSU legend Stan Lomax dies at age 95
By Michael A. Lough
The Sports Report
centralgasports@gmail.com
Upon meeting Stan Lomax, one was unlikely to think of him as a football coach.
He fit few stereotypes of a successful football coach, bringing a friendly, never-met-a-stranger personality and a knack for being a dapper dresser.
But he was able to combine that with a quality football mind and become a highly successful head football coach at Fort Valley State University.
Then FVSU-VP for student affairs Willie Williams, Doug Porter, Lomax, and former FVSU head coach Donald Pittman in 2013.
Two-time SIAC champion head coach Leon J. “Stan” Lomax passed away Sunday morning at the age of 95.
He was born in Athens, and graduated from Booker T. Washington in Atlanta and FVSU.
Lomax coached for nearly 30 years, from 1948-1977, starting at Risley High in Brunswick where he led the Tigers to the state title in 1950 and 1957 en route to a 101-34-4 mark. The 1950 team outscored opponents 427-35.
In high school and college, he went 187-69-11, winning 73 percent of his games.
His versatility stood out with two state baseball title and five in track.
Lomax was hired at FVSU in 1963, and went 86-33-7 with four SIAC titles and two playoff trips. The 1972 team was the first all-black team to play on ABC regional telecast. Along the way, he recruited NFL legend and Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright to FVSU.
In fact, Lomax presented Wright at the Hall of Fame ceremony in 2006.
Wright later wrote about his meeting with Lomax as a prospect at Griffin High.
Lomax also lead the Wildcat men’s basketball team, from 1963-67.
He was inducted into the FVSU alumni hall in 1979, the SIAC hall in 1986, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. He also spent time on the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame’s Authority.
Longtime Dallas front office leader Gil Brandt Tweeted condolences Sunday night.