Mike grew up in a loving family in Texarkana, Texas with older brother Pat and younger brother Rick. Mike’s love of baseball began alongside his dad, Kenneth. Kenneth Ferrell was instrumental in bringing Little League baseball and participation to Texarkana.
A 1958 grad of Texas High in Texarkana, Mike starred in football and baseball for the Tigers. Baseball first took Mike to Texarkana Junior College then to Sam Houston State University (“SHSU”). At SHSU he played baseball for the Bearkats, which included a NAIA National Championship in 1963.
In Huntsville at SHSU, Mike met the love of his life, Annette Pinson. They were married December 26, 1964. After Huntsville, Mike and Annette chose a life in education, which took them first to Galveston, then to Conroe ISD in 1965. Starting in 1968, the Ferrells would be fixtures at Conroe High School. If you attended Conroe High School between 1968 and 2001, you knew the Ferrells.
During his tenure as Head Baseball Coach at Conroe High School from 1968-2000, Mike amassed 475 wins, made 20 playoff appearances, and lead the Tigers to 12 district championships. Some of Coach Ferrell’s accolades included coaching the THSBCA All-Star Game at the Ballpark in Arlington in 1997 with longtime friend and assistant Frank Romero. Mike was inducted into the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1999 and then the THSBCA Hall of Fame in 2004. If you knew Coach Ferrell, you knew of the time and effort he spent on the baseball field at Conroe High School, and in 2007 Conroe ISD named the ballpark Ferrell Park.
Aside from Mike’s accolades, he was so proud of his friendships with his peers and relationships with his players.
Mike and Annette’s two sons, Russell and Lou, were both born in Conroe, and grew up as Tigers in the dugout and on the sidelines. Russell and Lou played baseball for their dad at Conroe High School, then later followed in their dad’s footsteps to play baseball at SHSU. In retirement, Mike and Annette loved following their sons in their coaching careers. Today, both Russell and Lou carry on the tradition of coaching high school baseball - Russ as head coach at Galveston Ball High School and Lou as head coach at Grand Oaks High School.
Mike is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Annette; son Russell, his wife Janelle, and their three children Sage, Sterling, and Willow; son Lou, his wife Kelly, and their daughter McKinley; and brother Rick.
He is proceeded in death by father Kenneth, mother Bess Edith, and older brother Pat.
Visitation will be held on Friday, August 7, 2020 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at Cashner Funeral Home in Conroe, Texas. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 8, 2020 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at Cashner Funeral Home. Due to capacity limitations, the funeral service will also be live streamed through Cashner Funeral Homes’ Facebook page. Mike will be laid to rest at Rosewood Cemetery in Humble, Texas at 2:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the Ferrell family kindly asks for any donations to be made to the Texas Alumni High School Baseball Coaches Association in Mike’s name at Attn: Chip Nila, 11514 Jacinth Court, Houston, TX 77066.
