The Claiborne County community has lost an icon.

Barry Liles, the first head football coach of Claiborne County High School and a long time educator, died Monday while on vacation in Hawaii.

According to a report from KHON2, the 64-year-old Liles was snorkeling about 15-feet offshore at Three Tables on the North Shore of Oahu.

The report said the incident happened just before 11 a.m. local time on Monday, adding that Liles wife Tina was also rescued but didn’t need medical attention. Beachgoers pulled Liles from the water and gave him CPR. He was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Liles coached Claiborne County High School from its first season in 2003 until 2015. He had returned to the school as an educator and to mentor the current staff, including head coach Dalton Lee who had coached.

Through the years he coached in Monroe County, at Morristown East and in Grainger County.

Liles had retired at the end of the 2026 school year.

“It’s hard to put into words the kind of impact Coach Barry Liles had on the Claiborne County community and beyond,” the Claiborne County coaches posted on the teams Facebook page.

“Whether it was being a positive influence on studentathletes, serving faithfully in local churches and ministries, teaching and investing in students through PE, or mentoring coaches on the Claiborne football staff, his reach touched so many—and will continue to for years to come.

“During his time as Head Football Coach at Claiborne High School, Coach Liles worked tirelessly to ensure the facilities reflected the pride he had in the program. While he always competed to win every game, his true mission was much bigger— he was committed to helping young men and women become the best versions of themselves. You chase perfection to land on greatness.

“In 2025, Coach Liles returned to Claiborne in a non-coaching role, simply to serve. He took it upon himself to help restore the facilities and pour into the current staff. The playing surface had deteriorated, but through his dedication and hard work, he helped bring life back to the field and surrounding areas. Most recently, he made sure everything looked its best for Claiborne’s graduation this past May.

“No one asked him to do it. No one made him do it. No one paid him to do it. He did it because he loved this community and the people in it. He believed in taking pride in what you have and making the most of it.

“Coach Barry Liles will be deeply missed by so many. His legacy will live on through the countless lives he impacted. Thank you for everything Coach” Tribune sportswriter Marlin Curnutt first met Liles when the two were working in Monroe County. Their paths crossed frequently over the next three decades.

“I had the privilege to know Barry for over 30 years. I first met him when he was coaching at Tellico Plains. He was always a gentleman both on and off the field,” Curnutt said. “As a sportswriter, I often had the chance to interview him and he was gracious, win or lose. It wasn’t just the fact he was a good football coach, he was a greater person.

“A loving husband, father and grandfather, Barry leaves a legacy that transcends football. My heart is broken for his family but he left a testimony that we can all be sure of where he is now. My heart, like the hearts all who knew him, is broken but I take comfort in the blessed hope that we will meet once again in God’s appointed time.”

A gofundme campaign has been set up to assist the family. It can be found at https:// tinyurl.com/yxcpf5er.

Officials in Hawaii said it was unclear what caused Liles’ trouble in the water.