(December 6, 1939 – January 17, 2018)
Ronnie ‘Coach’ Giles, 78, of Stephenville, died Wednesday, January 17, 2018 in Stephenville. Texas
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM Saturday, January 20, 2018, at Stephenville Funeral Home Chapel with Rodney Payne, Joe Gillespie, and Johnny Gann officiating. Burial will follow at West End Cemetery. Visitation will be 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Friday at the funeral home.
Ronnie was born on December 6, 1939 in Post , Texas to the late Vernon and Madge Anthony Giles. He married Linda Posey on August 22, 1958 in Snyder, Texas. Ronnie received his Bachelor’s degree from McMurry in 1964 and his Master’s in Physical Education from Abilene Christian in 1966. Ronnie coached at McMurry in Abilene 66-71, Sul Ross in Alpine 71-73, and moved to Stephenville to begin coaching Football as the offensive line coach at Tarleton State in 1973. Ronnie was instrumental in January 1983 to develop a new recreation sports program at Tarleton State and in 1984 went on to develop the new outdoor recreational facility.
In 1985 Coach Giles was appointed Assistant Collegiate ASA Commissioner, and in 1986 was appointed Collegiate ASA Commissioner. In the spring of 2000 Coach Giles began organizing the Outdoor Adventure Facility, and also began plans for the building of a New Indoor Recreational Sports Facility. The referendum for the new indoor facility was passed by the e ntire student body at Tarleton State, and in the fall of 2004, a 73,000 square foot facility was underway. In 1986 Coach Giles started the Texas Fun Night for freshmen students as well as Fishing And Golf tournaments. Coach loved his students and enjoyed many hours of outdoor pursuits with generations of Tarleton students.
Coach Giles was recognized as a Distinguished Staff member by the Tarleton Alumni Association in 2008, received the Heart of a Texan Award in 2012 and was inducted with his fellow coaches and beloved 1977 and 1978 Football Team into the Tarleton Football Hall of fame in the fall of 2015 in recognition of the 77 & 78 National championship team.
Besides his teaching and coaching career, Ronnie also enjoyed raising cattle and goats with his son Kent. He served in the National Guard for 9 years with the final rank of Master Seargent, was a member of the Stephenville Chamber of Commerce, Optimist Club, Farm Bureau President, and a member of the First Baptist Church of Stephenville. Coach Giles retired from Tarleton State after 4 decades of service as Football Coach, Director of Recreational Sports, and an Instructor for Tarleton State University.
Ronnie Giles was a true and steadfast man loved by many with a kind heart and words of encouragement and positive reinforcement when we needed them most. We miss him terribly and are better because of him.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Linda; son, Kent of Austin; daughter, Deborah and husband J. D. Dillingham of Austin; grandchildren, Brittany and Haley Giles; brother, Jim J. Jenkins of Oklahoma; sister, Tammy Beth Jenkins of Oklahoma; sister-in-law, Kay Posey; and nephews and niece, Lance Posey, Dale Posey, and Melissa Posey Lopez with a host of nieces and nephews and a family of players and friends across the nation.
The Giles family wishes expressions of sympathy be made in the form of donations in Coach Giles name to the Tarleton State University Athletics/Football Program.
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