Former A&M Head Football Coach Tom Wilson Passes Away
Aug 10, 2016 | Football
CORSICANA—Former Texas A&M head football coach and Texas Tech All-Southwest quarterback Tom Wilson passed away in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Aug. 10 in Corsicana after battling cancer for several years. Coach Wilson was 72.
Coach Wilson joined the Texas A&M football staff of Emory Bellard in 1975 as offensive coordinator and became the head coach of the Aggies in the middle of the 1978 season.
The first play from scrimmage for Texas A&M under Wilson's direction was a 52-yard touchdown strike from Mike Mosley to Gerald Carter against Rice at Kyle Field.
He finished the 1978 season with a 4-2 mark including a 28-12 win over Iowa State in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.
In 1979, his first full season as head coach, the Aggies won four of their last five games to finish 6-5, marking the first time since 1951 a first-year head football coach at Texas A&M posted a winning season. That 1979 season also saw the Aggies beat two No. 6-ranked teams—Sept. 22 in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania as the Aggies beat Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions, 27-14; and 13-7 win over the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field on Dec. 1.
His last year as Texas A&M's head coach was 1981. The Aggies finished with a 7-5 record including a 33-16 win over Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, with quarterback Gary Kubiak earning MVP honors.
He finished his Aggie career with a record of 21-19 and was 2-1 against his alma mater Texas Tech, 2-2 in games against Texas and 2-0 in bowl games as the Aggies' head coach. Some notable players under Wilson's regime was Kubiak, All-American defensive end Jacob Green, running back Curtis Dickey and wide receiver Gerald Carter from Bryan, All-American placekicker Tony Franklin and National Football Foundation Hall of Famer Ray Childress.
Wilson got into football and athletics in grade school in Corsicana, Texas.
"I realized then that if I wanted to play football it would have to be as a quarterback," Wilson said. "I was too slow to be a running back and not big enough to be a lineman. I had to play where I could think my way around."
He became a captain and most valuable player on both his football and basketball teams at Corsicana High School.
He would attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock and was the starting quarterback for the Red Raiders in 1964-65. He earned All-SWC honors as a senior and left Lubbock owning the school's career passing records at the time. He led Tech to the Sun Bowl as a junior and the Gator Bowl as a senior for Coach J.T. King.
King called Wilson "the smartest player I ever coached" and put him on his coaching staff after graduation. King had allowed Wilson to call his own plays as quarterback and he continued in the press box working for Coach King and Coach Jim Carlen before leaving Texas Tech to serve as the Aggies' offensive coordinator.
Wilson would return to Texas Tech to serve on Jerry Moore's staff until he left Texas Tech to coach Palestine High School in 1986. In 1993, Wilson took over as the Corsicana High School head coach and remained in Corsicana after he retired in 1999.
A man of faith, family and community, Wilson served in many capacities helping in the community.
Wilson was born Feb. 24, 1944 in Ennis, Texas. He graduated from Corsicana High School in 1962 and graduated from Texas Tech University in 1966.
His wife, Daun, passed away in April of this year. The couple have two children, Mark and Julie.
Services for Coach Tom Wilson
Monday, Aug. 15
Northside Baptist Church
Corsicana, TX
1 pm visitation with family
2 pm services to follow
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Northside Baptist Church Building Fund or the Humane Society of Navarro County.
Coach Wilson joined the Texas A&M football staff of Emory Bellard in 1975 as offensive coordinator and became the head coach of the Aggies in the middle of the 1978 season.
The first play from scrimmage for Texas A&M under Wilson's direction was a 52-yard touchdown strike from Mike Mosley to Gerald Carter against Rice at Kyle Field.
He finished the 1978 season with a 4-2 mark including a 28-12 win over Iowa State in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama.
In 1979, his first full season as head coach, the Aggies won four of their last five games to finish 6-5, marking the first time since 1951 a first-year head football coach at Texas A&M posted a winning season. That 1979 season also saw the Aggies beat two No. 6-ranked teams—Sept. 22 in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania as the Aggies beat Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions, 27-14; and 13-7 win over the No. 6-ranked Texas Longhorns at Kyle Field on Dec. 1.
His last year as Texas A&M's head coach was 1981. The Aggies finished with a 7-5 record including a 33-16 win over Oklahoma State in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, with quarterback Gary Kubiak earning MVP honors.
He finished his Aggie career with a record of 21-19 and was 2-1 against his alma mater Texas Tech, 2-2 in games against Texas and 2-0 in bowl games as the Aggies' head coach. Some notable players under Wilson's regime was Kubiak, All-American defensive end Jacob Green, running back Curtis Dickey and wide receiver Gerald Carter from Bryan, All-American placekicker Tony Franklin and National Football Foundation Hall of Famer Ray Childress.
Wilson got into football and athletics in grade school in Corsicana, Texas.
"I realized then that if I wanted to play football it would have to be as a quarterback," Wilson said. "I was too slow to be a running back and not big enough to be a lineman. I had to play where I could think my way around."
He became a captain and most valuable player on both his football and basketball teams at Corsicana High School.
He would attend Texas Tech University in Lubbock and was the starting quarterback for the Red Raiders in 1964-65. He earned All-SWC honors as a senior and left Lubbock owning the school's career passing records at the time. He led Tech to the Sun Bowl as a junior and the Gator Bowl as a senior for Coach J.T. King.
King called Wilson "the smartest player I ever coached" and put him on his coaching staff after graduation. King had allowed Wilson to call his own plays as quarterback and he continued in the press box working for Coach King and Coach Jim Carlen before leaving Texas Tech to serve as the Aggies' offensive coordinator.
Wilson would return to Texas Tech to serve on Jerry Moore's staff until he left Texas Tech to coach Palestine High School in 1986. In 1993, Wilson took over as the Corsicana High School head coach and remained in Corsicana after he retired in 1999.
A man of faith, family and community, Wilson served in many capacities helping in the community.
Wilson was born Feb. 24, 1944 in Ennis, Texas. He graduated from Corsicana High School in 1962 and graduated from Texas Tech University in 1966.
His wife, Daun, passed away in April of this year. The couple have two children, Mark and Julie.
Services for Coach Tom Wilson
Monday, Aug. 15
Northside Baptist Church
Corsicana, TX
1 pm visitation with family
2 pm services to follow
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Northside Baptist Church Building Fund or the Humane Society of Navarro County.
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