Gene Robbins, 87, passed away June 17, 2019 in Pottsboro, Texas. He was born Oct. 31, 1931 in Clayton, Okla. to John and Ada Robbins. He grew up in the Kiamichi Mountains of Oklahoma.
He rode a school bus 12 miles to Tuskahoma High School where he graduated at the age of 16, he received his bachelor’s from Southeastern Oklahoma State University and his master’s from Northwestern Louisiana State University.
While at Southeastern he eloped with Pat Standefer. The elopement was packed with amusing and entertaining moments which provided them with much joy all of their married life. They would have been married 66 years on July 2.
Gene is survived by his wife, Pat, and daughters, Kathy Jeannene Robbins Bagnell and husband Tom, and Robin Dawn Robbins; grandsons: Chad Bagnell and Taylor Herron; two great-grandchildren: Morgan Bagnell, Jameson Bagnell; his brother in his heart Wayne Cobb and his wife Patsy; cousins Jim Branham; a niece and three nephews and a host of friends.
He began his teaching career at the age of 18 at Lone Star Elementary School, a one-room schoolhouse with all eight grades in the same room. This is the same grade school he attended. He discovered his love of coaching at this elementary school. He organized a basketball team at this elementary school. They played on an outside dirt court and rode to neighboring schools in the back of a pickup.
From Lone Star, he accepted his first high school coaching position at Tuskahoma High School in Oklahoma. His win/loss record was 164-44. These teams won six district championships, two regional championships and made two appearances and Oklahoma state tournament. While at Tuskahoma in 1950s, he was successful in encouraging several drop-out students to return for their high school diploma and play basketball.
He also coached at Wilburton High School and Madill High School before accepting the position of head basketball coach/athletic director at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Okla. His six years at Murray resulted in an overall win/loss record of 139-41. His teams at Murray won four conference titles, three regional titles and three trips to the national tournament where his team finished 12th, seventh, and third.
From Murray State College, he accepted an assistant coaching position for the Kansas State Wildcats. During his tenure at K-State, the Wildcats finished second and first in the Big Eight Conference.
After K-State, he spent one year at Louisiana Tech University before accepting of the head coaching position at the University of North Texas. And from UNT he retired several times, each time was coaxed back into coaching at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Colbert High school and finally Durant High School.
A reception in honor of Coach Robbins will be on June 21, 2019 from 1-2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Durant. Services will be at 2 p.m. with Brother James Robinson officiating.
Interment will follow services at Highland Cemetery in Durant, Okla. with Chad Bagnell, Taylor Herron, Wayne Cobb, Gene Davis, Alvie Nelson, and Dale Blaut serving as pallbearers. Clyde Smith, Kent Pickens, Dub Raper, Don Huddleston, Jeff Brown and Don Summer will serve as Honorary Pallbearers.
Services are under the direction of Holmes~Coffey~Murray Funeral Home of Durant, Okla. www.holmescoffeymurray.com