Legendary Baseball Coach Houston Wheeler Dies at Age 92

San Antonio – Longtime Trinity University Tigers baseball coach Houston Wheeler died Friday, December 24, in San Antonio. He was 92.

A memorial service will be held at Trinity's Margarite B. Parker Chapel at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 8th.

Coach Wheeler guided the Tiger baseball team from 1963-1985. Trinity advanced to the NCAA playoffs in 1969, 1972, and 1973. The Tigers also won the Southland Conference championship five times under Coach Wheeler's leadership: 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, and 1973. He was elected SLC Coach of the Year in 1965 and 1968.

A major highlight occurred in 1972, when Trinity took the Texas Longhorns to 14 innings in the district playoffs, before being edged 4-3.

In 1999, Coach Wheeler was inducted into the inaugural Trinity University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was elected the Trinity University Alumnus of the Year in 1998.

Eight of Coach Wheeler's baseball players are members of the Hall of Fame, a number of whom went on to Major League careers: Hall of Fame Class of 2001 - Marvin Upshaw '70; Class of 2003 -  the late Paul "Duck" Stanley '73 and Bill Daffin '73; Class of 2005 - Mike Bacsik '75; Class of 2007 - Pat Cluney '70; 2009 - Mike Scott '74; the late Rick Mahler -'72-'73; and Mickey Mahler '72-'74.

"Coaching was secondary to Coach Wheeler," Daffin said. "He was such a special human being, and he taught us what being a good person meant."

Coach Wheeler graduated from Trinity in 1941 (in Waxahachie, Texas), with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration. As a student-athlete, he was captain of the football team, and made all-conference in basketball.

He was head basketball coach and assistant football coach in the 1950s, and taught classes in the Department of Physical Education until his retirement.

A tradition at the opening of the baseball season was to have Coach Wheeler throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He last threw out the pitch in February 2010. The catcher moved Coach closer to the plate, to ostensibly make it easier. But, Coach Wheeler moved back toward the pitcher's mound!

He was also a regular attendee at other Tiger sporting events.

"The Trinity baseball family has lost an icon," said current Tiger baseball Coach Tim Scannell. "Our players loved to interact with him in the dugout, and learn the history of Trinity baseball. Coach Wheeler was a role model for me. He always had a great attitude."

Coach Wheeler is survived in San Antonio by a daughter, Meredith Wheeler and partner Squeeky Luce; great grandson Xander Engel, and his mother, Christy Engel; and a son-in-law, Earl Engel.