Tom Kimbrough
Plano High School
___
Inducted in 2023
The years that Tom Kimbrough was head coach at Plano will go down in history as one of the greatest tenures in Texas high school football. His record was an incredible 173-28-5. He won more games and more state championships in his head coaching career than any coach in the state (1976-1991). This was accomplished during an era when only one champion was crowned per classification. At the time of his retirement from coaching in 1991, Plano had won more games than any team in the history of Texas high school football. And, only one coach in the largest classification had won more state championships in the previous 60 years. During his years as an assistant coach, head coach, and athletic director (1968-1995), Plano played in seven state championship games, winning five with a record of 298-52-6. Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine recognized him as one of the Top Ten Most Memorable Coaches for the previous 50 years in a group that included Tom Landry (1st) and Darrell Royal (2nd), with only four high school coaches in the Top Ten. They also recognized Plano and Brownwood as “The Two Kings” in the 1984 edition based on win-loss record over the last 25 years. His 1977 state championship game vs. Port Neches-Groves set the Texas high school football attendance record for “single site games” at 49,950, which is still a record 46 years later spanning over 100 years of UIL competition. He is a member of five Hall of Fames. Tom Kimbrough Stadium was built and named in his honor in 2003. The Plano Chamber of Commerce and the City of Plano declared “Tom Kimbrough Day” in 1988, recognizing him “as undoubtedly the single greatest contributor in establishing the City of Plano’s image as one of a winner.” The Texas Sports Writers Association named him Texas High School Coach of the Year three times.