Pamela Cox Owens

Born in Mobile, AL, Pam was the youngest of 5 children of Ronald and Gail Cox. She was an excellent basketball coach and educator and was dearly loved by all of her family, her players, coaching colleagues and friends. She served as a mentor, role-model and inspiration for her dozens and dozens of players during her 27 year coaching career.

After meeting each other 30 years ago Pam was the most cherished wife, best friend and soul mate of her husband, Joe. They were to celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary on July 17th. She was a member of First Irving Baptist Church, a woman who was strong in her Christian faith and a devoted animal lover throughout her life, most recently to her pet dogs. Pam’s Christian ministry was expressed daily through her interaction with the young women who would play on her basketball teams by showing them how making the right choices would lead them to a better life.

Even as a young girl Pam would profess her love for basketball telling her sister that she was going to be a basketball player and a coach. She quickly set about making this come true by excelling first in neighborhood pick-up basketball games, and soon in middle school and high school. Her outstanding play at Lee High School in San Antonio, TX soon drew the attention of college scouts and she ended up playing her college freshman year at Amarillo (TX) College and her sophomore year at Western Texas College in Snyder, TX. After sifting through scholarship offers from several 4-year schools, Pam decided to finish off her college playing career at the University of New Orleans (UNO) for head coach Joey Favaloro. There she met her future husband, Joe. During her two years at UNO she earned many awards while playing for a team ranked in the top 20 teams in the country. Her junior year, the team earned a bid to play in the NCAA Division 1 Championship Tournament, losing in the second round. In her senior year, the team was selected to play in the National Women’s Invitational Tournament in Amarillo, TX. Pam celebrated her return to Amarillo by helping her team win 3rd place and also individually winning the Jack Miller Award.

After graduating from UNO Pam began her coaching career at Judson High School in Converse, TX as an assistant coach to her former high school coach, Don Evans. After six years at Judson, she earned her first head coaching job in the Texas Hill Country town of Bandera. In her first season as a varsity head coach, she led the Bulldogs to the playoffs. After two seasons in Bandera, Pam returned to San Antonio as head coach of William H. Taft High School and began to build a power house team during her 8 seasons as head coach of the Lady Raiders. While at Taft her teams made the playoffs every year, and in 6 of her 8 years made it at least to the regional tournament or farther. Her teams went to the state tournament (high school final four) 3 out of her last 4 years at Taft. They played in the state championship game in 2002.

During her time at Taft High School, Pam began attending clinics and workshops hosted by legendary University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt. This began a professional relationship that culminated with Pam accepting a job on Coach Summitt’s staff as a graduate assistant coach.

Pam eventually returned to high school coaching, accepting a position back at Judson High School, succeeding her mentor Don Evans. Four years later, looking for a new challenge, Pam decided to make the move to the Dallas/Fort Worth area in order to work with the highest caliber athletes in the states’ most competitive area. She continued her success there by leading all three schools she worked at to the playoffs, most recently Irving Nimitz High School. There she led the Lady Vikings to back-to-back playoff appearances, including the schools’ first playoff appearance in girls’ basketball in 30 plus years. In fact, Pam led every school she ever coached to the playoffs at least once during her tenure at each school.

Pam is survived by her loving husband, Joe, three sisters, Dannette, Rhonda and Susan, sister-in-law Lisa Becnel and nephew Holden. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Russell and Pearl Kempin, mother Gail and her brother Steve.

Visitation will be Monday, July 11, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM immediately followed by the funeral service at 1:00 both at Village Parkway Baptist Church, 3002 Village Parkway, San Antonio, TX 78251. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, 1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX 78218.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, July 13, 2016 at 2:00 PM at Irving First Baptist Church, 403 S. Main Street, Irving, TX 75060.