Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame

• • Parkview's head baseball coach for 29 years
  • Three state titles – 1996, 2001, 2002
  • 12 region championships
  • Record 546 wins and 245 losses.
  • Parkview's head football coach - 1983, 1984, 1985
  • Parkview’s head softball coach – 1987 to 1994
  • No. 20 jersey retired
• • One of two Georgians in National High School Baseball Coaches Assoc. Hall of Fame
  • Numerous athletes playing professionally, among them MLB players Jeff Francouer, Jeff Keppinger and Clint Sammons Inducted Georgia Athletic Coaches Associat
  • Inducted Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame
  • Inducted Gwinnett Dugout Club Hall of Fame
  • Head Coach, 2002 USA Baseball Youth National Team, Silver Medal in Pan American Games, Barquisimeto, Venezuela
  • Asst. Coach, 2001 USA Baseball Youth National Team, Gold Medal in World Championships, Veracruz, Mexico
  • MLB scout in retirement, presently Area Scouting Supervisor, Atlanta Braves

• Guest speakers at Mountain View banquet bring credentials, personality
• Longtime Parkview coach Hugh Buchanan, retiring as Atlanta Braves scout, ready for life after baseball

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• • 1946  Graduated Grayson High School
  • 1950  Graduated University of Georgia
  • 1950-52  Taught at Tucker High School and helped start 11 man football
  • 1952  Started and coached the first football team in Gwinnett County School System at Lawrenceville High School
  • 1951-56  Coached football, girls and boys basketball, baseball, and track at Lawrenceville High School
  • 1958-66 Coached football, girls basketball, tennis, boys and girls track at South Gwinnett High School
• • 1967-72  Taught PE at Bethesda Elementary-Middle School
  • 1975-81  Taught construction at Parkview Vocational School. Supervised the building of concrete seats at Parkview Stadium and the first off campus houses built by the students.
  • 1981   Retired
  • 2000-2007  Instrumental in getting new Grayson High School named same as old with same colors and mascot, raising money for stadium seats on visitors' side, building concession stand and coaches' room, trophy cases for hallways, lockers for football, baseball, softball, and soccer teams, and 2 baseball dugouts.
  • 2007   Football field named Britt-Moody
  • 1956   Joined first National Guard Unit in Gwinnett County and retired in 1987

• • State Girl’s Basketball Coach of the Year - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
  • No Team, Male or Female, has Won 8 Titles in 9 Years
  • Coached Most Girl’s State Championships in Georgia history
  • Bobby Cremins Georgia Girls Coach of the Year (All Classifications) - 2006, 2010
  • Metro Atlanta Prep Coach of the Year (All Classifications) - 2009, 2011
  • Georgia Sports Writers Association State Coach of the Year - 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • Region Coach of the Year - 2001, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2009

• • Wesleyan alums gather to honor contributions of Azar and staff
  • Azars relationship remains same in different colors
  • Hebron girls rout Christian Heritage in coach Jan Azar's 600th career win
  • Former players, friends gather to celebrate Azar's 600th win
  • Wolves' Azar leads Tipoff Club honors

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• Retired from South Gwinnett High School 1964 – 2000 (36 years coaching/teaching)
• Career coaching mark of 600 wins – 140 losses
• Nine Regional Championships
• Four-time Coach of the Year
• 2012 Georgia Dugout Hall of Fame inductee
• Played football and baseball in high school, was offered a pitching position from the Cincinnati Reds after high school. He went to Gordon College on a football scholarship before injuring his knee. He was later picked up by Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern) to pitch before joining the Army after tearing his rotator cuff. Went on to Piedmont College where he enjoyed a successful career and was later inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2012.
• Piedmont College honored John, 1963 graduate, with an induction into the Letter "P Club" Hall of Fame.
• South Gwinnett in 1964 where he coached nearly every sport except cheerleading. Sawyer was most successful coaching football and baseball.
• Coached Dixie Youth Baseball for 36 years
• Coached in the USA Baseball League 1989 Sydney, Australia - defeated Cuba and won a gold medal
• Coached the first USA 15-16-year-old team in Taiwan
• Assistant coach for the Junior Olympics, based in Baton Rouge, La., and the head coach for the league based in Chapel Hill.
• Baseball field at South Gwinnett is named in his honor. John Sawyer Field