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Gaither's Permuy Headed To FACA Hall Of Fame

Tribune File Photo (2004)

Permuy will be the 14th Hillsborough County coach to be honored by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association, which began inducting members in 1977.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2008

Longtime Gaither baseball coach Frank Permuy will receive one of the state's highest honors in January.

Permuy has been voted into the 2009 class of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame. The official induction for the seven-member Hall of Fame class will take place Jan. 10 at the Daytona Beach Hilton Oceanfront Resort. Permuy will be the 14th Hillsborough County coach to be honored by the organization, which began inducting members in 1977.

"It definitely feels good," Permuy said, "and it is your peers [who make nominations] so it makes it even better.

"There are a lot of guys in Tampa that deserve it, guys like [longtime Jefferson baseball coach] Pop [Cuesta] and [longtime King baseball coach] Jim [Macaluso]. It would be nice for all of us to get it. It's special. You don't ever think about it. I guess it just means you've been around a long time."

To be eligible for induction into the FACA Hall of Fame, a minimum of 20 years of service in the coaching profession in Florida and participation in the FACA is required. Active coaches also must accrue 70 points in a system that awards points based on coaching record, championships won, head coaching tenure, FACA service and awards.

Permuy, who began coaching baseball in 1966 at the American Legion level, has had stops at Leto, the University of Tampa, Tampa Catholic and Gaither, the program he started in 1984-85 and has been with since.

Permuy has a career record at the high school level of 491-276 (586-356 overall counting his collegiate record of 95-80 at the University of Tampa) and has claimed one state title, that coming at Tampa Catholic in 1982 (Class 3A). At Gaither, Permuy has led the Cowboys to 12 postseason appearances, including a Class 5A state runner-up finish in 2005.

"If you asked me what kind of man he is, I'd tell you he's a baseball man," Macaluso said. "I highly respect him and always have, actually even before I got in [to coaching] myself. I knew him and observed him, watched him and wondered could I get in and do this like him. I think his strengths are really preparing his clubs. His clubs are always very well prepared."

FACA Hall of Fame inductees from Hillsborough County:

Year: Name, School, Sport
1977: Jimmy Hughes, Plant, football
1981: Paul Straub, Jesuit, boys basketball
1983: John Adcock, Chamberlain, football
1985: Crocket Farnell, Hillsborough, football
1988: Nick DiMaggio, Tampa Catholic, track and field/football
1989: Roland Acosta, Plant, football
1991: Frank Lorenzo, Plant, football
1996: Bill Minahan, Jesuit, football
1999: Bobby Ennis, Leto, cross country
2000: Billy Reed, Hillsborough, baseball
2006: Dick O'Brien, Hillsborough, football
2007: John Crumbley, Jesuit, baseball
2008: Mike Boza, Jesuit, cross country/track and field
2009: Frank Permuy, Gaither, baseball

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