The self-proclaimed Mayor of Stop Six – who always did it his way in becoming a Fort Worth basketball pioneer, the winningest boys basketball coach in high school basketball history and a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame – has passed away.
But the legend of Robert Hughes, who died at 96 Wednesday morning at his home in Fort Worth, will live forever.
Born in Oklahoma, Hughes starred in college as a member of the basketball team at Texas Southern University (TSU). He was drafted by the Boston Celtics in 1955 but suffered a torn Achilles tendon in training camp, ending his professional career.
He then joined the Army and was stationed in Japan. He worked at an aircraft parts plant after being discharged in Tulsa.
And in 1958, he got a call from TSU coach Edward Adams gauging his interest in becoming a basketball coach.
In what would become legendary Hughes fashion, he responded with his list of demands. It must be in a big city and he must be the head coach. He is not assisting anyone.
And that’s when his iconic career began.
Hughes took over at Fort Worth I.M. Terrell and never looked back.
He took the team to five straight PVIL (Prairie View Interscholastic League) state tournaments from 1962 to 1966.
Terrell won three championships in ’62, ’64 and ’66.
Following integration, Hughes became the coach at Fort Worth Dunbar in 1973 before retiring in 2005.
Hughes led the Wildcats to a remarkable 12 state tournament appearances and two state championships in 1993 and 2003. This included 10 trips in 17 years (1977 to 1993). During his time at Dunbar, the program made the playoffs in 30 consecutive seasons.
He had just one losing season in his entire career that spanned six decades en route to becoming the all-time winningest high school boys basketball coach with a record of 1,333-264.
Hughes is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, National High School Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the Texas Southern Hall of Fame and the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition to the impact he had on the court, he was a legendary figure off the court with his players, students and the entire community.
Hughes coaches a fast paced and fun style, Dunbar was known as the Flying Wildcats and they regularly played to a packed house.
But he was also a staunch disciplinarian who ruled with an iron fist and the feared board of education. He taught his players character, respect and professionalism.
He showed them tough love and agape love.
Legend has it that one year Hughes ran a bunch of gang members out of his gym and told them to stay away from his players.
He fought racism from other coaches and other schools early in his career.
Hughes ended his career with all of them looking up to him as the winningest coach ever.
It was Hughes who helped broker the Jackie Robinson-esque deal with TCU to recruit Terrell legend James Cash as the school’s first Black student-athlete as well as the first Black basketball player in the history of the Southwest Conference in 1965.
Former Dunbar legend Derrick Daniels, a four-year starter at UH and now a high school coach at Houston King, encapsulated it all with his heartfelt message to Hughes on his Facebook page:
“I know that we all have an appointed time but receiving this phone call this morning that you are no longer here with us is heartbreaking. I have followed you from the time that I was in the 3rd grade. I’m hurting !!! You are the reason why I chose the coaching profession. I will honor you for the rest of my life sir. I never had the chance to experience the likes of Martin Luther King, or Malcolm X but I did watch you growing up and always believed that you were my hero.
I learned so much more from you than just basketball / you had so many life lessons that were taught within the game. You were tough, it was hard but I wouldn’t change anything about my experience as a player or a young man during the times I spent with you. I LOVE YOU MAN!!!! AND I WILL CONTINUE TO LEAD LIKE YOU TAUGHT ME TO LEAD!!! NOW TAKE YOUR REST!!! I’ll see you in morning!!!”
