Suwanee Council Honors Linkous, 'Coach Mac'

A couple of legendary Suwanee figures were honored Tuesday by the City Council.

Shadowbrook Baptist Church pastor Bobby Linkous, also a familiar figure in civic affairs, has his "day" Wednesday after a proclamation by Mayor Jimmy Burnette.

And William "Coach Mac" McDaniel, who died March 7 after a long career at North Gwinnett High and Sugar Hill High, was honored with proclamations from Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia House of Representatives.

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Linkous has been involved with Shadowbrook since 1992, and is only the second senior pastor in the church's 30-year history.

Burnette noted that Shadowbrook has donated $3.9 million in that time to various projects at schools and businesses.

"He is a true leader of our church," said Council Member Kevin McOmber, a Shadowbrook deacon, of Linkous.

Linkous has been a facilitator for the city's 20/20 Vision strategic planning effort. "It's exciting to see people from the community come together," Linkous said.

State Rep. Josh Clark and Sugar Hill Mayor Gary Pirkle led the recognition efforts for "Coach Mac," for whom North Gwinnett's baseball field is named.

Clark, whose district includes Suwanee, read the proclamations honoring the former coach, who was 80. "Coach Mac" came to North Gwinnett in 1958 and retired in 1973. He lived off Level Creek Road about a mile from the school, noted his son, Ken McDaniel, who attended the ceremony with several other family members.

The presentation also noted that McDaniel helped "plot, plow and seed" North's first football field. Also, he became a brigadier general in the Army National Guard.

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