Morice Fredrick "Tex" Winter

Morice Fredrick “Tex” Winter, 96, died Wednesday morning October 10, 2018, at home in Manhattan Ks., following a lengthy illness. Winter was born in Wellington, Texas on February 25, 1922. His family moved to California in the mid-1930’s to escape the dust bowl days of the Great Depression. When Winter began High School in California his fellow students nicknamed him “Tex” after listening to his distinctive Texas twang. Later, while at Oregon State University, Winter met his wife of seventy-two years, Nancy Chase Bohnenkamp. During World War II Winter flew Navy fighter jets, returning after the war to finish his college career at the University of Southern California. At USC Winter played basketball and also pole vaulted, eventually earning All American honors in Track and Field and the opportunity to try out for the 1948 Olympic Team. Winter started his coaching career, in 1947, as an assistant coach at Kansas State University. Four years later he was named the youngest college head basketball coach in the nation when he accepted the Marquette job in 1951. He returned to Kansas State as head coach in 1953 and remained fifteen years. During this period he won eight conference championships, made it to two NCAA final fours and produced four All-Americans. He also defeated legendary Kansas University coach Phog Allen’s team in Allen’s last game at KU’s Allen Fieldhouse to win the 1956 conference title. It was during these years that Winter developed the “Triple Post Offense” later popularly known as the “Triangle Offense”, a system that has been used or adapted by many colleges and NBA teams. Winter left Kansas State during the spring of 1968 after being named NCAA Coach of the year. With his last Big 8 championship under his belt, he spent the next fifteen years combined as a head basketball coach at the University of Washington, the NBA Houston Rockets, Northwestern, and Long Beach State. In the mid-1980’s Winter partnered with Head Coach Phil Jackson, eventually producing 10 NBA championship seasons, first with the Chicago Bulls and then with the Los Angeles Lakers. Winter has received numerous hall of fame honors including the Kansas State Athletic Department’s Hall of Fame, Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, the National Collegiate Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He also received the John Bunn award and the Hillyard Anniversary Award for 50 years of outstanding service to the game of basketball by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. One of Winter’s most notable characteristics was his humility. He never forgot his humble origins nor was he ever impressed by wealth or fame. “He is one of the only people I have ever known who truly treated everyone equally”, said his son Chris Winter in remembering his dad, “whether you made millions playing basketball or minimum wage cleaning the arena my dad recognized and valued your contribution- and was just as likely to get your name a little bit wrong”. Winter is survived by his wife, Nancy, sons Brian, Chris and Russ, two daughters in law, three grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. A service celebrating Tex Winter and his life will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at 1:00 pm at Kansas State University Bramlage Coliseum. Memorial contributions can be made to Big Lakes Developmental Center, Inc., 1416 Hayes Dr. Manhattan, KS 66502 and the Boys and Girls Club, 220 S 5th St., Manhattan, KS 66502.