Henry Hunter Winston

1932-2012

Henry Hunter Winston, a revered coach, decorated athlete, and an architect of tradition in the Friendswood and Alvin communities, passed away in 2012 at the age of 80. Born on February 22, 1932, at his family's dairy farm in Alvin, Texas, Henry's foundational years working for his parents, Ed C. and Zella Mae Winston, instilled a routine and stamina that defined his legendary athletic and coaching careers. He also has a brother Alan and two sisters, Alice and Annette.

He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, leadership, and community spirit. Henry was preceded in death by his parents.

A Decorated Texas Athlete

Henry Winston was a star athlete whose speed and tenacity were evident from a young age.

  • Alvin High School (AHS) Honors: He was the first four-sport letterman at AHS after World War II, earning accolades in football, basketball, baseball, and track. In 1949, his senior year, he won the state mile run title. His sister Alice recounted that he accomplished this feat the day after he severely cut both arms delivering milk for the family dairy farm. He also claimed runner-up honors in a national meet in Iowa.

  • Rice University: Henry attended Rice University on a four-year scholarship, where he was a four-year letterman in track, excelling in the mile and two-mile runs. Though an Olympic contender with a 4-minute, 8-second mile in the early 1950s, a sophomore knee injury sadly ended his Olympic dreams. He graduated from Rice in 1954 with a Physical Education degree.

The Friendswood Coaching Legend

After starting his coaching career at Pecos for a year and El Campo for four years , Henry returned home to assist his family on the dairy farm before joining Friendswood High School in 1961.

His 31-year tenure at Friendswood is a cornerstone of the school's history:

  • Early Friendswood Career: He started in 1961 as assistant football coach, head track coach, and coach of all Junior High sports.

  • Head Football Coach: Henry Winston served as the Mustangs’ head football coach from 1965 until 1991.

    • He compiled a remarkable record of 171 wins, 108 losses, and five ties.

    • He led his teams to the State playoffs five times.

    • He was named "Sports Writers Runner-up in Football Coach of the Year" in Texas in 1970.

  • 1973 State Champions: Coach Winston was the architect of Friendswood High School’s only state championship football team in 1973. This squad, which included his sons Kiel and Irby, was later honored by Texas Football magazine as the best Class 2A team of the decade.

  • Legacy: Coach Winston retired after 31 years at Friendswood and was inducted into the Greater Houston Area Football Hall of Fame. The high school stadium was renamed "Henry Winston Stadium" on October 16, 1992, a fitting tribute to the man who introduced the community to the exciting and tough brand of football they love.

His personal evaluation of his career rings true for all who knew him: "I'm happy that I have been able to help produce good citizens, not just good football players". He challenged his athletes to be great teammates and to fight through any adversity, establishing a high standard for every Mustang athlete.