Ben Arthur Young

Ben Arthur Young attended Blackshear High School in San Angelo, Texas where he starred in track, baseball, and football. He went from there to Alabama State and then to Prairie View on a track and football scholarship where he received his B.S. and Masters degrees. He began his coaching in 1948 at Blackshear High School, then to Peabody High School in Hillsboro from 1951 to 1957. He retired in 1970 after service as head coach at Carver High School in Waco from 1951 until his health began to fail. He was well known for his teaching techniques which helped a number of athletes make it in college. He belonged to many organizations and was considered a fine Christian gentleman. His greatest contribution, however, was in February 1980 when a number of his teammates, athletes, opponents, and friends gathered in Waco the last Friday in February to roast and toast the very colorful Ben Young. We roasted and toasted Ben Young with the intent to meet the next morning and go to Abilene for the regional basketball tournament. The weather turned bad and we could not leave Waco, so we hung around the hotel and formed the old Prairie View Coaches Association which we later changed to the name Texas African American Coaches Association. Had it not been for Ben we may not have organized ourselves into such a worthwhile organization. The TAACA is proud to induct Coach Ben Young into its Hall of Honor on this day, July 27, 1999.

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