Former Plainview coach Bill Phillips dies in Oklahoma
Plainview Daily Herald (TX) - Monday, June 21, 2004

ALTUS, Okla. -- Funeral services for Billy Monroe "Bill" Phillips, 74, longtime Western Oklahoma State College basketball coach and former Plainview coach, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Western Oklahoma State College gymnasium with Bill Osborne and Hans Oehlert officiating.

Burial will be in Altus City Cemetery by Kincannon Funeral Home.

Mr. Phillips died Saturday, June 19, 2004, in Altus.

He was born Aug. 15, 1929, in Hart, the son of Monroe and Lilly Ewers Phillips. He graduated from Hart High School and received a bachelor of science and a master of science in history from West Texas State University.

He started coaching at age 19 at West Texas High School - the university's "demonstration school" for teachers - as a college senior. This grew into a career in coaching that lasted more than 50 years and ended with more than 1,500 victories in all sports.

He later coached in Samnorwood, Quail and Tulia before moving to Plainview where he coached and taught history at Estacado Junior High and then at PHS. He was head basketball coach from 1968-76, taking the Bulldogs to the playoffs several times and to the state semifinals in 1970-71, finishing with a 34-3 record. He also was a junior varsity football coach and assistant varsity baseball coach for seven years.

He compiled a 186-124 record at PHS with two district titles, nine tournament championships, four teams with 20 or more wins and was named District 3-4A Coach of the Year three times. He coached the North team in the Texas High School All-Star Game in Houston in 1972. About 20 players received scholarships during his time in Plainview.

Mr. Phillips coached a year at R.L. Turner High School in Carrollton before becoming men's and women's coach at Western Oklahoma. He coached both teams for many years but had only coached the women's team over the past several years. He retired at the conclusion of the 2003-2004 season due to health considerations.

He recently was named to the Jackson County Sports Hall of Fame.

He married Jo Blevins on Sept. 15, 1951, in Portales, N.M. He was a member of Thomas Street Church of Christ.

Survivors include his wife; two daughters and a son-in-law, Vickie Morris and Cindy and Floyd Young, all of Altus; a son and daughter-in-law, Keith and Shelly Phillips of Altus; a sister Stormy Levett of Amarillo; two brothers and sisters-in-law, Jerry and Sherry Phillips of Kress and Monte and Nancy Phillips of Kingland; six grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

His parents; a grandson, Jared Toy; a brother, Dean Phillips, and sister, Jane Alexander, are deceased.

The family will receive friends from 7-8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Western Oklahoma State College Women's Basketball Scholarship Fund.

Plainview Daily Herald

June 21, 2004