Mike Cofer, teacher and coach, 1981-1991. Coach Cofer died on June 12, 1996. This is his picture from the 1986 Echo.
His obituary: Mike Cofer, football coach, is dead at 53
Though Mike Cofer spent his career coaching high school football teams from Columbus to Rockmart, his teams in Stephens County in the mid-1960s and at Sprayberry High School in the 1980s were especially important to him. He was closest to the players at those schools, his wife Janet Cofer said. He kept in contact with a lot of them even after they went on in life. Pinkney Michael Cofer, 53, of Austell, died Wednesday. Born and educated in Columbus. Mr. Cofer earned a Bachelor's degree in physical education at Auburn University where he also played varsity baseball. He went on to earn a Master's degree at Georgia College in Milledgeville. Mr. Cofer returned to Columbus as defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Baker High School. He moved on to an assistant coaching job in Stephens County where his teams went 22-2 during the 1966 and 1967 seasons. They went to the state semi-finals in 1967, but lost 13-7, his wife said. In 1972 Mr. Cofer moved to Paulding County High School, where he was head coach until 1974.
He liked being head coach well enough, but defense was his love. Mrs. Cofer said. All through school he always want to coach defense. After several years coaching in Polk County, Mr. Cofer became the defensive coordinator at Sprayberry High School in 1981, and helped build the school's impressive defenses of the early 1980s. Mrs. Cofer said while at Sprayberry he also coached junior varsity baseball. After leaving Sprayberry in 1991, Mr. Cofer continued coaching at Ridgeland High School in Walker County. Mr. Cofer was a lifetime member of the Auburn Alumni Association as well as of the Marietta First Presbyterian Church. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, with Dr. James O. Speed officiating. Burial will be 4 p.m. Saturday in Park Hill Cemetery in Columbus. Survivors include his wife, Jane T. Cofer; daughter, Christine Chapman Watson of Gainesville; his son, Kenneth Michael Ken Cofer of Carrollton; his brother, Phillip L. Cofer of Sugar Hill; one grand-daughter and two nieces. Contributions may be made to a favorite charity or the American Cancer Society, Cobb County Unit, 1256 North Cobb Pkwy, Suite 102, Marietta 30062-2420. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. today at Mayes Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home.
[Marietta Daily Journal, Friday, June 14, 1996, pg. 2C]
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