Robert Hughes was a boys’ high school basketball coach in Fort Worth, Texas whose successful leadership lead to over 1,300 victories for his teams over decades.
- Died: June 11, 2024 (Who else died on June 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Fort Worth, Texas at the age of 96.
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Robert Hughes’ legacy
Robert Hughes briefly pursued a career as a basketball player, an All-American at Texas Southern University who was drafted by the Boston Celtics but failed to make the team. He instead became coach of the all-Black I. M. Terrell High School in Texas, and in just five years from 1963 to 1967, he led the team to three championships. The school was shut down in 1973, after segregation was finally ended in Texas, and Hughes moved to Dunbar High School in the Fort Worth Independent School District.
In his 32 years at Dunbar, Hughes cemented himself as one of the greatest coaches in high school basketball. He led the school’s teams to 30 straight playoff appearances, including 12 final fours, and racked up 1,333 wins, the most in boys’ basketball history. (Famed girls basketball coach Leta Andrews holds the overall record, with 1,416.) Between his two schools, Hughes won five state championships overall.
Hughes retired in 2005. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 and was granted the Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 by the same organization. He is also in the Texas Basketball Hall of Fame, High School Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. The 2019 documentary, “5700 Ramey Ave: The Story of Robert Hughes,” spotlights his career.
Tributes to Robert Hughes
Full obituary: Fort Worth Star Telegram
