Kirby Jones: HISD Coaching Legend

Kirby Jones a lifelong Houstonian is a 1948 graduate of Booker T. Washington High School where he was a star student-athlete in football and track. He received All-City and All-District honors as a football player. BTW advanced to the state semi-finals in 1948 before losing to Cole High School of Corpus Christi, Texas.  Mr. Jones received a football scholarship to Texas Southern University where he was a member of the 1952 National Championship team and TSU only undefeated football season. Coach Jones was selected to the Midwestern Athletic All-Conference team at the linebacker position. He graduated with a B.S. in Biology and received his Master in Science. He started out as an assistant coach at Kashmere in 1962 under legendary Coach Billie Matthews.  The 1967 team advanced to the area zone playoffs during the first year of integration against Bellaire before an overflow crowd of 25,000 in Jeppesen Stadium. Coach Jones learned early on that Kashmere High football would be the centerpiece of athletics in HISD as well as the state of Texas. Coach developed a knack in getting the best out of the young men on the gridiron as he instilled hard work and discipline into his coaching style. He was an inspiring figure to his student-athletes as he impressed upon them the importance of academics. After serving nearly a decade at Kashmere, Coach Jones in 1969 returned to his Alma Mater, B. T. Washington as defensive coordinator and proceeded to guide their defense into historic heights as they beat Galveston Ball in Rice Stadium before an estimated crowd of over 35,000.

Coach Jones returned to Kashmere in 1985 as an assistant under Ed Smith. With Jones back on the sidelines, Kashmere made back to back playoff appearances in 1985 and 1986. In 1987 he became the head football coach at Kashmere where his teams made 11 trips to the playoffs, including 7 as District Champs, and 1993 19 4-A Coach of the Year Award. Coach Jones brought the spotlight back to Kashmere Football! as he solidified his place in Kashmere Rams history. Coach Jones retired in 2003 with more than 40 years of service to the Houston ISD with a coaching record of 102 – 70.

 Here are some of Coach’s honors and affiliations Coach of the Year 1993, member of Greater of Houston Football Coaches Association for 25 years, Kashmere High Appreciation Award, HISD Coaches Association Inducted (Hall of Honor) 2002, Prairie View Interscholastic League Coaches Association 2004 Hall of Fame. It is safe to say Kirby Jones legacy is engraved in Texas history.