- Date Of Birth: March 18, 1936
- Date Of Death: January 24, 2016
- State: Texas
Floyd Kenneth “Red” Morgan, March 18, 1936 – January 24, 2016.
Coach “Red” Morgan, as he was better known, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 after a long battle with cancer and other health issues. He was born to Floyd and Lucille Ray Morgan on March 18, 1936 and graduated from Belton High School. He was an avid sports fan and played football and softball for the Tigers. He later took up golf, which came to be his calling.
He married his high school sweetheart, Robin Johnson of Belton in 1959, after her graduation from the University of TX, Austin. The couple moved to Kingsville where Red later graduated from TX A&I University in Kingsville with a BS degree in Health and Sports Programs. While at A&I, he enjoyed playing intramural sports and was the 2 time school intramural champion in pool. He enlisted in the TX National Guard while in high school and continued his training with the guard while attending TX A&I. His unit was called to active duty and served for a year during the Berlin Crisis and at the beginning of the Vietnam War.
He served in the 49th Armored Division with his active station in Ft. Polk, LA. He performed as a forward platoon scout and attained the rank of sergeant and was honorably discharged in 1963. Upon his return to finish his degree at A&I, their daughter, Cynthia Lyn , was born in Kingsville at the Kleberg County Hospital.
Red’s coaching career began in Agua Dulce, TX near the King Ranch in South Texas where he was the assistant football , basketball, and track coach. His next coaching duty took him to Thorndale where he assisted with football and basketball and served as the head baseball coach. While teaching and coaching in Thorndale, their son, James, was born at the John’s Hospital in Taylor.
In a couple of years, Red took a coaching position in Boerne, TX where he coached everything except tennis for 9 years. His baseball team won several district championships and several of the baseball team’s players went on to play college level ball and some into the pro ranks. But golf kept calling him and he was hired as the club pro for the Turtle Creek Country Club in San Antonio. Red greatly enjoyed his working days with Turtle Creek, sponsoring numerous tournament events at the club, including those for the Junior Golf Association of South TX.
After 3 years as the golf pro, teaching and coaching again entered his life, as he began to miss his association with his high school and junior high players. It was then that he returned to his home town of Belton to “jump-start” a fledging golf program. The program quickly gained in popularity and picked up players from the junior high and high school with Belton becoming a destination for quality high school golf tournaments, featuring guest players such as Coach Darryl Royal and Coach Fred Ackers from the University of TX.and Mancil Davis , the King of Aces from Houston.
Next came a one year stint as head golf coach in Port Lavaca. Before long, he was offered a coaching position in Salado, TX where he coached junior high football and was the boys and girls high school golf coach. It was during his 4 years coaching with Salado that his golf teams won 4 state golf championships , one year both the boys’ and girls’ teams winning state.
With the success of Red’s golf teams in Salado, he was soon contacted by Coach Bob McQueen in Temple to revive a high school golf program for both boys and girls and to initiate a program in the 3 junior high schools. With few golfers ready to go, Coach Morgan began to scout summer softball leagues in search of potential players. It wasn’t long until the program was thriving with many active youngsters , eager to learn to play the life sport of golf. Although never winning a state golf championship at the 5A Temple High, his girls’ teams finished runner-up at state several times and the boys’ teams won numerous district championships. Several members of both the boys and girls teams went on to play golf at the college level, with several making golf their career path. The team members earned many All-District awards .
Again the golf bug bit him and Red accepted a position as the club pro at the Cove Cay Country Club in Clearwater, FL. It was during this time that his wife’s dad became ill with cancer and the couple returned to TX and Red once again went back into coaching golf with Temple.
In 1994, Red was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and he had his first radical surgery to remove the tumor, followed by extensive chemo and radiation. After several months of healing, he returned to his love of coaching golf in Temple and continued to coach even though the cancer returned in 2000. In 2003, Red officially retired from teaching and coaching and he and his wife moved from Belton to Georgetown to be nearer family and grandchildren. His battle with cancer struck again in 2004 with extensive surgery to remove lesions in his esophagus was performed and Red and Robin lived in Georgetown until his passing on Jan. 24, 2016.
His physical absence leaves an empty place in our hearts, but the family will always feel a special personal connection with their Dad, brother, Pops, husband and friend. Red touched many peoples’ lives and encouraged countless young people with his positive approach to life.This world will miss the charm and warm personality of a man who fought cancer for almost 22 years.
