Former John Tyler High School football coach Allen Wilson  was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor on Saturday before a packed Texas Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO — Allen Wilson, who led John Tyler to a state football championship and made Cujo famous around the nation, was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor on Saturday before a packed Texas Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

“If you want to be successful, follow successful people — put God first, family second and your job third,” Wilson said during his speech. 

Wilson led JT to the 1994 Class 5A Division II state championship with a 16-0 record. His Lions were perennial contenders and also made a state finals appearance in 2000.

Other inductees were Joe Clements, Wally Freytag, Alan Weddell and Robert Woods. Other award winners are Putt Powell Sportswriter of the Year, Kale Steed of the Amarillo Globe News; Curly Hays Officials Award, Michael Fitch of the Fort Worth Chapter; Trainer of the Year; Debby Winder of Stephenville; Tom Landry Award, Hal Wasson; and Distinguished Service Award, Jim Faulk of San Antonio Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

In his 11 seasons at JT (1991-2001), Wilson compiled a record of 102-34-2. He led the Lions to three district championships and nine playoff appearances. At JT, five of his teams won at least 11 games.

In 1994, John Tyler went 16-0 and won the Class 5A Division II state championship with a 35-24 win over Austin Westlake at the Astrodome in Houston.

A graduate of Midland Lee High School and Abilene Christian University, Wilson got his first head coaching job at Paris High School in 1983. He was a graduate assistant at ACU for two years before going to Paris. He remained in that position for eight years, winning four district championships and guiding his team to a state championship in 1988. His 1988 squad won the Class 4A state championship with a 31-13 win over West Orange-Stark.

After JT, his final coaching stop was at Dallas Carter from 2002 to 2010 where he was 44-5 in his first four years. In his nine years at the helm, his teams posted nine wins or better seven of those years.

In his 28 years as a head coach, Wilson posted a career record of 246-90-4 with 22 trips to the playoffs, 14 district championships and two state championships.

Wilson is a member of the Tyler ISD Athletic Hall of Fame and the Abilene Christian University Hall of Fame.

At Abilene Christian he was a defensive back on the NAIA national championship team and Lone Star Conference title squad.

That 1994 season at JT included a legendary regional semifinal game against Plano East Senior High School at Texas Stadium in Irving. The Lions won 48-44.

 

 

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