Coach Verties Sails Jr. Honored with Plaque Dedication

Coach Jarrett Stephen, Francesca Sails, and Dr. Tracy
D. Hall honor Coach Verties Sails Jr. during a plaque
dedication ceremony located in the gymnasium that
bears his name.

Longtime basketball coach Verties Sails Jr. was honored during Homecoming 2025 with a plaque dedication ceremony recognizing his decades of leadership, mentorship and impact on student-athletes and the Memphis community.

“This enshrinement is more than a tribute,” said Coach Jarett Stephens during the ceremony. “It is a lasting symbol of gratitude and respect for a man who not only made history, but shaped it.”

Sails, 83, was unable to attend. His daughter, Francesca Sails, spoke on his behalf.

“Even though I am his daughter, it just didn’t seem right for me to be here and not him,” she said. “But to have this recognition now means so much to us. He’s able to see it while he’s living. I truly thank you all for that.”

Sails described a difficult year for her family, including the loss of her mother. She said the ceremony was a bright moment amid personal challenges.

“This has been a very bright light,” she said. “Something that can contrast that little bit of sadness.”

Twin brothers and Southwest Hall of Fame inductees Lloyd and Floyd Johnson also spoke, reflecting on the role Sails played in their lives.

“Coach Sails was a man who stood in the gap for all of us who didn’t have fathers around,” said Lloyd Johnson. “He was the discipline we needed growing up. He instilled greatness in us.”

Floyd Johnson added, “Sometimes life is hard, but it’s fair. He wanted us to work hard, regardless of what we were doing. Whether you were All-American or barely played, he wanted you to excel on and off the court.”

The Johnsons, both 5-foot-9 guards, credited Sails with helping them earn college scholarships.

“For that, we will be forever grateful,” Floyd Johnson said. “There’ll be nothing we won’t do for him in life between now and the end of our lives.”

Francesca Sails recalled a scripture her father quoted during difficult times: “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown.” She said the recognition in Memphis, where he spent 33 years coaching, was especially meaningful.

“He definitely was a champion for athletics, a champion for Southwest, a champion for the community,” she said.

Sails was also granted the college’s first-ever Coach Emeritus status, a distinction announced during the ceremony.

“Coach Sails didn’t just coach games,” said President Tracy D. Hall. “He coached life.”

The plaque now stands in the campus gymnasium, ensuring future students and visitors will know the name Verties Sails Jr. and the legacy he built.