Bowles retires from coaching with legacy of lifelong impact on players

By Kenny Mitchell

West Bowie Post

High school coaches have the opportunity to dramatically impact the lives of young people, and that is definitely the case for Coach Jack Bowles.

After a career that spanned decades and saw his teams win a monumental 650 plus games, Coach Jack Bowles officially announced his retirement from coaching and teaching last week.

Bowles leaves a legacy of winning in Northeast Texas which includes 10 successful years at Avery, and most recently, a very successful girl’s basketball program at Hooks.

Coach Bowles told the West Bowie Post, “God called me to be a coach. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer. I am really happy that I listened to God.”

Bowles went on to say that he and his wife, Kim, have been humbled and overwhelmed by the number of calls and texts, and even handwritten letters, that have come in since they announced their retirement. Kim Bowles also announced her retirement from teaching at Hooks ISD this week.

Kim says of her husband, “I never knew how rewarding being a coach’s wife would be. When our kids were little, they were as obsessed with his players and teams as he was. I loved watching him grow as a coach and form all the relationships over the years. I think one of the most rewarding parts of his career (other than the 600+ wins) is when former players come back to talk to him, and thank him for his tough love, teaching to work hard and just be good people. I love the look in their eyes when they introduce their spouses and children to them. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard “this is Coach Bowles”. Our next chapter is going to be an adjustment we know, but we are looking forward to it.”

Longtime friend and fellow Northeast Texas coach, Robert Kelsoe, from Avery, said of Bowles, “His x’s and o’s are as good as anybody in the game. He’s a good coach, I like him, what he stands for is on point. You can’t deny success. His stuff is as good as anybody’s I have ever been around. His passion for the game has always been there.”

But perhaps the ones that know him best are youing lives that were deeply impacted by him, his own kids. Jack and Kim have three children, daughter Taylor, and two sons Korte and Garde. Taylor played college basketball and is now in the computer software business in Dallas, and both of their sons are now firefighters in the Dallas area.

Taylor says of her dad, “Being a “coaches’ kid” was honestly one of the best things that could have happened to me - especially with that coach being my dad. We practically grew up in the gym. Not because my dad forced us to be there, but because it was our favorite place to be. I remember spending hours and hours shooting, hanging around practices, and just loving the environment that basketball created for our family. My dad was definitely a tough coach (some might use the phrase “hard ass” haha). He demanded a lot out of his players, believed in discipline (towel pushes lol), and probably wasn’t handing out many compliments unless you really earned them. But one thing I always appreciated was that he never forced basketball on me. He never made me stay in the gym hours on end shooting and practicing ball handling. Somehow, though, all of his lessons still became ingrained in me anyway.”

She went on to say, “What’s been most special to watch over the years is the impact he’s had on so many people. Everywhere we go, somebody has a story about my dad - usually involving him being hard on them at the time and them appreciating it years later. That says a lot about the kind of coach and person he was. He cared deeply about his players, not just as athletes but as people, and I think that’s why so many former players still respect and love him today.”

Garde Bowles had much to say about his dad as well. He stated, “Everyone knew my dad as Coach and I mean literally everyone besides his mom called him Coach! And he is one of the best to ever do it, he has forgotten more about basketball than most people will ever know. And he’s coached his way to beating a lot of really good teams even when his talent pool was slimmer than a guitar string. One thing he always said was “hard work beats talent, especially when talent doesn’t work hard.”

Garde continued with, “My dad really embodied what it meant to be a real coach, he cared about winning and making good players but he cared more about making good people. He had one rule and that was “do the right thing” it was simple but we all know what the right thing is even when we don’t want to admit it. He held everyone to this standard, players, other coaches, my siblings and I, other teachers, and admin. Which as you can imagine a lot of adults don’t like being held accountable and because of this we weren’t at many schools for very long. But he left an impact everywhere he went, I’ve met countless players over the years who have said they hated how hard my dad was on them (holding them accountable) but as time has gone on they know he was right and appreciated him for it.

I guess what I have to say about my dad retiring from coaching is, he always did the right thing and he always will. He stood up for people and didn’t let anyone get bullied or disrespected. You might find people that don’t like him but you won’t find people that don’t respect him. I am extremely lucky to have an example like that to follow, and I hope I can be that same example for my kids.”

Kort Bowles said of his father and coach, “He was truly meant to be a coach and dedicated 33 years to being a coach and teacher. He was very successful at it and truly left an impact at each and every school he spent time at. He loved coaching almost as much as he loves his family and OU football. It’s going to be hard for him to sit still this summer and not plan team camps and skills camps. But he deserves to finally relax and enjoy life without the stressors of school administration and annoying parents getting upset that he’s doing exactly what a good coach and teacher is supposed to do. The memories I have as a kid being the “coaches’ son” are so fun to look back on. I sat on the bench, went to practices, went to camps, and played ball with so many of my dad’s former players. Then grew up to being the coach’s son playing for him in high school. Playing for your dad wasn’t always the easiest. Expectations were higher but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, it definitely helped shape me be the way I am today. Losses came home with us so we got extra time to reflect on mistakes and what we could have done better to win. I wouldn’t have changed a thing, being a coach’s son was great and I wish more people could experience it.”

Kort summed up the feelings about his coach and dad by saying, “Lastly I just want to say how much it meant to me for him to be so honest, hardworking, and passionate all the time. He truly taught me, my siblings, and many players so many lessons. I am excited for this next chapter my parents get to enjoy and I hope players and students continue to remember the many lessons they were teaching. My dad is a great example of what a father, husband, and coworker is supposed to be. “Coach” will always be coach and now it’s time for him to retire and be the old coach in the stands, out in public, or at church that everyone still remembers as “coach.”