(Photo Courtesy Kansas State Athletics)
By Tom Gilbert, K-State Athletics Communications
K-State Athletics will celebrate the accomplishments of legendary coach Fred “Tex” Winter on Saturday with the dedication of the drive leading to the Wildcats’ Basketball Training Facility in his name.
Winter will join another K-State coaching legend, Jack Hartman, with having a drive at the K-State Sports Complex designated in his honor. “Jack Hartman Drive” leads to Bramlage Coliseum on the west from College Avenue while “Tex Winter Drive” will lead to Bramlage and the Basketball Training Facility from the east at Gate 7 off Kimball Avenue. A limestone sign at the entrance will designate “Tex Winter Drive.”
The unveiling of the “Tex Winter Drive” sign will take place at 9 a.m., Saturday prior to K-State’s game with Oklahoma State in conjunction with the school’s annual Men’s Basketball Legends’ Weekend. The ceremony is open to the public and will include comments from All-American Ernie Barrett, who played and coached with Winter, along with athletics director John Currie.
A renowned basketball innovator credited with the triangle offense, Winter led the Wildcats to a 261-118 (.689) record from 1954 to 1968, which included eight Big Seven/Eight Conference titles, five Big Seven/Eight Holiday Tournament crowns, six NCAA Tournament appearances and two Final Fours (1959 and 1964). His 261 wins rank second all-time in school history behind Jack Hartman’s 295, while his .689 winning percentage ranks third. He also laid claim to more conference titles (eight) than any other head coach in the program’s history, while his teams finished among the Top 20 nationally nine times in his 15 seasons, including No. 1 in both polls in 1958-59. He is the only person to be affiliated with all four of K-State’s Final Four teams (1948, 1951, 1959 and 1964).
There were several outstanding teams under Winter, two of which advanced to the Final Four. He won four consecutive conference championships from 1957 to 1961, including earning the school’s first No. 1 ranking during the 1957-58 season, while he won back-to-back crowns in 1962-64 and then another in his final season in 1967-68. The 1957-58 squad, anchored by All-Americans Bob Boozer and Jack Parr, lost just three games in the regular season, advancing to the school’s third Final Four. The Wildcats lost to Seattle and Temple in the Final Four.
A multiple Hall of Fame inductee, Winter was enshrined into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City in 2010 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. He is also a member of the state of Kansas and Kansas State University Sports Halls of Fame.
Winter, who will turn 93 on Jan. 28, is retired and lives in Manhattan with his son, Brian.
As many as 50 former players and coaches will be on hand to celebrate the naming of “Tex Winter Drive” and participate in Legends’ Weekend, an annual reunion of K-State Basketball players. In addition, players from the 1974-75 team celebrating the 40th anniversary of their Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, will be recognized during halftime of the Oklahoma State game, which tips off at 11 a.m.
