Who is Gary Gaines from the book, Friday Night Lights?

Gary Gaines is the coach of Permian High Panthers football. Gaines is a kind but stern man who expects nothing less than the best of his players. Having been a successful coach elsewhere, Gaines looks to bring the Panthers to the state championships in 1988. Supporting him are his wife and daughter, though the season does not go as well as expected. Gaines urges the Panthers to win, stresses loyalty, but also stresses that the game must be enjoyed. Gaines faces tremendous pressure as he suffers two losses, but he is kept on for another season where in 1989, he takes the Panthers to win the state championships. He goes on to coach elsewhere. Then, in 2009 he is asked to come back to Permian to get the football program back in order. He has fair success, and retires in 2012.