William H. Wilson, Jr., AKA “Coach,” AKA ”ChickenShack,” son of the late William and Naomi Wilson, was born on March 8, 1939, in Tallahassee, Florida. He was a believer in Jesus Christ and baptized at an early age at Greater Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida. He was currently a member of Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wabasso, Florida.
Coach attended Lincoln High School and graduated in the class of 1957. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Florida A&M University, where he was also a Student-Athlete. During his athletic career “Coach” played halfback on the Rattlers' undefeated national Championship football team in 1961, where he started ahead of NFL Hall of Famer Olympic 100-meter champion and Dallas Cowboys’ Wide receiver, Bob Hayes. He signed with the Houston Oilers of the American Football League, but a knee injury soon ended his career in 1962.
He started his teaching career in Quincy, Florida, at Carter Paramore High School as a Physical Education teacher and assistant football and basketball coach. While also starting the very first track and field team at Carter Paramore and served as head coach of this new athletic team from 1964-1966.
He was recruited to Indian River County by the late Dr. Samuel Hunter as Head Football Coach for the Gifford High School Tigers in 1966, where he once again started a winning track and field team and was named Head Coach.
In 1969, he was reassigned to Vero Beach High school, where he became head of the Physical Education Department, assistant football coach, head track coach, and wrestling coach. After retiring in 1997, coaching was still in his blood and he reported to Sebastian River High School as an assistant football coach to assist his former student-athlete, Randy Bethel, continuing there until 2014.
In over 32 years as head track and field coach at Vero Beach High School, “Coach” led his teams to 19 consecutive district championships, seven regional championships, and back to back State Championships in 1989-1990. He also served as offensive backfield coach for the Indian’s 1981 state championship football team.
Because of his passion for athletics and emphasis on academics, he was responsible for over 100 student-athletes obtaining scholarships to various universities and colleges. He also produced one Olympic track and field athlete, Fred “Snake” Taylor, representing the United States at the 1980 Olympics Games in Moscow, Soviet Union.
“Coach,” as he is affectionately known, has garnered many awards, recognitions, and honors over his coaching career, including: 14-time Cape Coast Conference Track and Field Coach of the Year, Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Outstanding Assistant Coach Award in 1993, the FACA lifetime Membership Award, and an induction into the FACA Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was also inducted into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and the USA-Florida Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2001, he was inducted into the Florida High School Hall of Fame.
He received Vero Beach High School Teacher of the Year in 1997, received the Ida S. Baker Distinguished Black Educator Award in 1991, and the Book of Golden Deeds from the Vero Beach Exchange Club in 1992. In light of the dedication to his students and community in Indian River County- the Vero Beach High School track was named in his honor, as well as Sebastian River High School’s “Bill Wilson’s Annual Invitational Track and Field” meet, Bill Wilson’s Annual Elementary Track Meet (1989), and the local football field was named the Wilson-Chisolm Field at Gifford Park. His list of awards and recognitions goes on and on.
He is survived by: a loving and devoted wife, Kathryn Armstrong Wilson; a son, William H. Wilson III (the late Teneshia Peppers-Wilson) of Vero Beach; a daughter, Yolanda Wilson Lucas of Vero Beach; three grandchildren, William H. Wilson IV of Jacksonville, Wesley E. Wilson of Jacksonville, and Brandi L. Lucas of Gainesville; one sister, Clarissa Moore of Hampton, VA; four brothers, Alfred and Robin Wilson of Fredericksburg, VA, James and Nicole Wilson of Hampton, VA, George and Kim Wilson of Trenton, NJ, and Steve and Carol Wilson of Trenton, NJ; and step-mother, Kuniko Wilson of Trenton, NJ.
Public visitation for William H. Wilson, Jr. will take place on Friday, September 25, 2020 at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church in Vero Beach, FL between the hours of 5:30pm and 7:00pm. A celebration of his life will convene on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 1:00pm at King's Baptist Church in Vero Beach, FL. Burial will immediately follow in Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Fort Pierce, FL.
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For Customer Service please call: 1-888-610-8262
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