All true about my mentor and very good friend Jerry Briesath...he started it all so many decades ago! Many good instructors have been mentioned in this thread, but the glaringly obvious one missing is Randy Goettlicher of Dallas Texas. Randy was the first recipient of the Jerry W Briesath PBIA Instructor of the Year Award in 2018. His contributions to pool are immeasurable, from changing the face of professional instruction, to running multi-day pool schools, to running multi-thousand player leagues, to inventing Scotch Doubles (and making it a national event), to serving on committees to further the sport, including the BCA Rules Committee.
Randyg, along with Rockin' Robin (here on AzB) and John McChesney created the hugely successful Texas Express 9 Ball Tour, running tournaments nationwide for years. His Cue Tech Pool Schools graduated 1000's of students, many who went on to become state, regional, and national champions, and has worked with many professional players. He revolutionized how pool is taught so much so that the "SPF" training techniques invented by him and Leslie Rogers (and implemented at Cue Tech over 3+ decades), have been copied by most of the respected professional instructors worldwide. I have been honored to teach with Randyg many times, all over the country, and every time it is a phenomenal learning experience for me, as well as everyone else involved. Randy still travels, teaching all over the country, so he is a viable option for almost anyone who wants to work with him.
Randyg's positive effect on so many facets of pool is just one reason why he is considered by many (including me) to be the best instructor anywhere! Like Jerry, Randy deserves to be in the BCA HOF. While still vibrant as people, players and teachers, these two gentlemen are elderly. I would certainly hope that the sport honors them the way it should, without having to wait for them to pass! SPF rules!
Scott Lee
2019 PBIA Instructor of the Year
Director, SPF National Pool School Tour