The Lipscomb family is mourning the loss of Lynn Griffith, professor of Kinesiology in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, who died suddenly Saturday, June 13.
Griffith began working at Lipscomb in the fall of 1980. During his time at Lipscomb, he served as department chair of the former Health and Physical Education Department, and he most recently taught courses in motor learning, Kinesiology, mechanics of movement and coaching education.
A native of Chattanooga, Griffith was also a longtime coach. He coached the university tennis teams for 21 years accruing a 365-270 match record. He was named the NCAA D-1 Independent Men's Coach of the Year in 2002. In addition, two of his teams participated in the NAIA National Tournament and his teams won three Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference championships. He was named TCAC Coach of the Year five times.
Griffith also served as Lipscomb's cross country coach from 1994–1999. Every year that Griffith was cross country coach, Lipscomb had runners participate in the NAIA National Cross Country meet. In 1997, he was named the TranSouth Conference Cross Country Coach of the year. He was assistant coach under legendary Bison baseball coach Ken Dugan for several years and was also a former assistant athletic director. Griffith was inducted into the Lipscomb Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018
Most recently, Griffith was a coach at Lipscomb Academy, where he served as the Mustang head swim coach for the 2014, 2015 and 2016 seasons and as girls' and boys' tennis coach for several years leading the boys' tennis program to an undefeated season and a TSSAA Class A-AA team state championship in spring 2016, the first team state championship for that program in more than four decades.
Former trustee Bill Huston honored Griffith, his longtime friend, as the lead donor of the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center that sits atop the Allen Arena West Parking Garage which opened in 2009.
Griffith received his bachelor's degree from Lipscomb in 1976, where he was a member of the Bison tennis team. He received the Master's of Science and Doctor of Arts degree from Middle Tennessee State University. He and his family were passionate about international mission work, particularly in Haiti.
He is survived by wife, Dianne (Goolsby), former Lipscomb Academy faculty and coach; and sons, Matthew, Cole and Samuel, who graduated from Lipscomb Academy in May. Arrangements are incomplete at this time.
There will be a drive by visitation in front of the Huston-Marsh-Griffith Tennis Center (One University Park Drive, Nashville) from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. While distancing will require friends stay inside their cars, the immediate family will be there as extended family and friends drive by to express their support. A private service in celebration of Lynn's life. The service will be streamed live beginning at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2020 at http://www.lipscomb.edu/live.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Ekipe Haiti Foundation, a non-profit that works to better the lives of the people of Haiti through education, healthcare, and greater opportunities (https://ekipehaiti.org/donations/ or mail to P.O. Box 40045, Nashville, TN, 37204) or to elevate the Lipscomb University Tennis program Coach Griffith led for 21 years by donating to the Lynn Griffith Memorial Fund (http://give.lipscomb.edu or mail to: Lipscomb University Athletics, One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37204).
Lipscomb athletic director Philip Hutcheson chatted with a number of current and former Bison student-athletes and coaches in a special episode of Word With the Herd reflecting on Griffith's life.
