Coach | Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame

Whisenhunt, Stanley

Jun 20, 2019 | Coach

Stanley Whisenhunt was the long-time girls basketball coach at Abilene Wylie where he was known as just Stanley by his students and players in the 1960s and ‘70s. His teams won 15 consecutive district championships and two regional championships. His team captured...

Wartes, Larry

Jun 21, 2017 | Coach, Football

Larry Wartes will be inducted posthumously. He was an assistant to Gordon Wood on two state championship teams at Stamford. He then replaced Wood as the Bulldogs’ head football coach and won two more state titles in 1958 and 1959. His football coaching record was...

Shira, Charles

Jun 21, 2017 | Coach, Football, Legends

Charles Norris Shira played football at Texas A&M and West Point and later coached at Tennessee and Texas before becoming the head coach and athletic director at Mississippi State. He died at age 49 in 1976 of a cerebral hemorrhage, and the field house at...

Lineweaver, Steve

Jun 21, 2017 | Coach, Football

Steve Lineweaver was a graduate of Abilene High. As a coach he complied a 258-43-2 record with four state football titles at Commerce and Euless Trinity. He won district 18 times and at the time of his retirement, he was tied with G.A. Moore, behind Phil Danaher of...

Cleveland, Kenneth

May 23, 2016 | Basketball, Coach

Kenneth Cleveland was a standout basketball player at Coleman and the University of Texas. He compiled an 887-227 record coaching basketball, the last 32 years at Dimmitt where he won 27 district championships, 10 regional titles and three state championships. When he...

Ellison, Margaret

May 23, 2016 | Coach, Legends, Track & Field

Margaret Ellison, who was born in Eastland, was the founder and coach of a women’s track and field club in Abilene in the early 1960s that revolutionized the sport. Her Texas Track Club became nationally famous with members of the team appearing on the cover of...