Pete Ragus

Pete Ragus coached football and track from 1951-1964 and was the head coach at Corpus Christi Miller from 1958-1964. He became Texas High School Coach of the Year in 1960. In 1964, he became the executive director of athletics for Lubbock ISD and managed five high schools and nine junior high schools.

The program almost tripled in size during his tenure as athletic director. The staff size increased from 72 coaches and trainers to 200, and the operating budget increased as well – from $250,000 to the $1,200,000 (not including coaches salaries). Athletic programs increased from 8 sports to 20 sports. Also while as athletic director for Lubbock ISD, the school district had 208 district championship teams, 158 bi-district, regional, and semifinal teams, and 17 state championship teams.

He was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1974, the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Honor in 1984, the Coastal Bend Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1989, and the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. The Lubbock ISD Aquatic Center is named after him.

In 2006, he received recognition from the National Football Foundation and the Texas Tech University Chapter Award for Outstanding Contributions to Amateur Football.

In 2009, he was inducted into the National Hispanic Heritage Hall of Honor, established to recognize outstanding Hispanic leaders in education, athletics and public service. Our honoree is not Hispanic, but was honored for his work with Hispanic youth, he is one of only two non-Hispanics bestowed with the honor.