THSADA - 2004 Hall of Honor Reception

Honorees:

Hall of Honor:
Doug Cox	Longview
Ebbie Neptune	Eanes
Betty Roberts	Houston
Ed Warken	Galena Park

NFHS Citation Nominee:
Sandra Mader	Galveston ISD

NIAAA Distinguished Service Award Nominee (Outside Field):
Eddie Joseph

NIAAA Distinguished Service Award:
Jerry Comalander Texas State Nominee 2004-2005	Northeast ISD

NIAAA State Award of Merit:
Larry Piel	Cypress Fairbanks ISD

Athletic Director of the Year:
Richard Avila	Corpus Christi ISD

President's Award:
Daryl Wade	Aldine ISD

Doug Cox

	A 1961 graduate of Pasadena High School, Doug attended Wharton County Junior College and Trinity University in San Antonio. An all-conference player for three years, he received a B.S. degree from Trinity University in 1965 and completed his Master of Education degree at Sam Houston State University. Doug Cox began his coaching career at Edison High School in San Antonio in 1965. After three years at Edison, he moved to Jefferson High School where he coached for two more years. In 1970 Doug moved to Spring Branch High School with Clint Humphreys. After one season at Spring Branch, he moved with Coach Humphreys to Longview. He became head football coach in 1974 when Clint became a full time athletic director. During Coach Cox’s fourteen years as head coach, the Lobos won or tied for eight district championships with the 1975 team advancing to the state semifinals and the 1986 team advancing to the state quarterfinals. Doug was a member of the Texas High School coaches Association, Texas High School Athletic Directors Association and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association. He also served as a regional director for THSADA. Doug assumed the position of Athletic Director in May 1988 when Coach Humphreys decided to return to coaching. He spent twelve years working to maintain the quality and expand the scope of the Longview ISD athletic program before he retired in 2002. Doug and his wife Jane have two children, Andrea McCutcheon and husband Bubba of Longview and Brad and his wife Karen of Lewisville. Doug and Jane have five wonderful grandchildren, Jonathan and Jordan McCutcheon and Rebecca, Jacob and Amanda Cox.

Everett "Ebbie Neptune

Ebbie Neptune retired in July of 2003 after spending forty years as a teacher, coach and athletic director. Thirty-two of those years were at Westlake High School. He also coached at La Feria, Pleasanton, Sweeny, Round Rock and Bay City. Ebbie graduated from Sweeny High School in 1957 and in 1999 was selected to the All-Time Sweeny Football team from 1939 to 1999. Ebbie graduated in 1963 from Texas Lutheran University after spending two years in the United States Army.

In 1969, Ebbie went to Westlake from Sweeny with Ken Dabbs, Westlake’s first head football coach. In the first year of Westlake football, Ebbie served as offensive football coordinator. He served as offensive coordinator through the 1981 football season. From 1978 to 1981, Ebbie was offensive coordinator for Bobby Etheredge. In 1979, the Chaparrals won their first football district championship.

Neptune became the head football coach and athletic director at Westlake in 1982 and remained in this position through the 1986 season. His teams reached the state playoffs in 1982, 1984 and 1985. His 1985 football team was the first Westlake football team to win a playoff game and advance to the state semifinals where they lost on penetrations. The 1985 Chaparrals were selected as the Central Texas Team of the Year. The final 1985 Associated Press and Harris Ratings picked Westlake as the number two team in Class 4A. Ebbie was selected as Centex Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1985. Neptune served as an assistant and head coach in football, basketball and track during his coaching career.

In 1987, Ebbie Neptune became the full time athletic director for Westlake High School and the Eanes Independent School District. While serving 22 years as athletic director (five years as head football coach and athletic director), Ebbie took great pride in stressing an athletic program which offered many opportunities for young people to participate and build a strong self image. During his tenure as athletic director, Westlake won 19 UIL State Championships and numerous district, state and national honors. In 2002, Westlake was awarded the UIL Lone Star Cup Award, which recognizes the best athletic and academic programs in the State of Texas.

On September 6, 2002, the Eanes School Board named their new football field “Ebbie Neptune Field”, in recognition of Ebbie’s longtime service and dedication to the Eanes community and athletic programs. On May 14, 2003, Ebbie received the Greater Austin Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame Award for his contribution to amateur football in the Central Texas Area. The Texas House of Representatives honored Ebbie by adopting a resolution on May 23, 2003, recognizing his outstanding career as an athletic administrator and coach. He also served as secretary for the Central Texas Athletic Director’s Association and was a member of the finance committee for the 2000 Mid-Winter Conference held in Austin.

Ebbie would like to recognize and credit his assistants, head coaches and student athletes for the honors he has received. “There is no way I could have achieved what I did without these dedicated coaches and athletes.”

Betty R. Roberts

The youngest of five children, Betty Roberts was born and raised in Oklahoma. She graduated from Duncan High School of Duncan, Oklahoma. Betty earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Education from Sam Houston State University.

She served Houston ISD from 1956 until her retirement in 1989. Her teaching experience includes teaching Junior and Senior High School Physical Education for twenty years. Eleven of those years she coached swimming and track and field.

Betty Roberts began her HISD administrative tenure in 1977 and was appointed Director of Girl’s Athletics in 1979. Girls’ teams in tennis, basketball, swimming, and track and field won U.I.L. state championships during her tenure as Girls’ Athletic Director.

Betty has received honors from various professional organizations including recognition for outstanding contributions toward the promotion and advancement for Physical Education in Texas. Miss Roberts is also the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award from Sam Houston State University.

Betty Roberts also served as the referee for the U.I.L. Regional and State Track and Field Meets.

Upon retirement Betty moved to Point Blank, Texas (Lake Livingston) and has been active in the community. She served on the City Council as Council member and mayor –pro-tem for ten years. Betty was also instrumental in developing a summer reading program for school age children.

Ed Warken

After graduating from Wayne State University in Detroit, Ed Warken returned to his high school alma mater, West Bloomfield High School, in 1974 where he held the position of offensive coordinator for seven years. During this time he received his Master’s Degree in Athletic Administration from Michigan State University in the spring of 1981.

Ed moved his family to Texas where he was the offensive coordinator and the assistant head coach at Spring High School. After five years of coaching, he transferred to Westfield High School where he worked as an assistant principal and supervised their athletic programs from 1986-1991.

In the spring of 1991, Ed was hired as the Athletic Director at Galena Park ISD. With only 1800 students participation in athletics at the time, the district has seen this grow to over 4000 participants in the past 13 years. Emphasizing the importance of academics and athletics in student’s lives, the district has built state of the art facilities at four middle schools and three high schools, along with numerous athletic improvements at their other campuses. Galena Park ISD opened a $21 million district athletic complex that includes a 10,000-seat football stadium, field house and natatorium in the fall of 2002.

Professionally, Ed has served the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association as the membership chairman for three years, vice president, president and as the past president. In 2000, Ed was named the Athletic Director of the Year. He has also served as the NIAAA state liaison and in 2001 he received the NIAAA State Award of Merit. The Greater Houston Football Coaches Association awarded him with their Distinguished Service Award in 2003.

Ed has two daughters. Jennifer and her husband Todd, along with their son, Hayden, live in the Woodlands where they are expecting their second son in October. Kristyn, who will be finishing up her medical residency next year and her husband Chris live in Houston with their dog, Levi. Ed’s stepson, Robbie is currently attending the University of Oklahoma.