Of the 173 figures who have been inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, only two — Bertha Teague and Paul Young — coached exclusively at the high school level.
In 1927-69, Teague recorded 1,157 victories while coaching girls basketball at Byng. In 1936-61, Young coached football in Ardmore and Muskogee.
Next year, a third high school coach will be inducted.
A source close to the election process confirmed to the Tulsa World that Jenks football coach Allan Trimble will be inducted in August.
An official announcement regarding the entire Class of 2018 will be made in a few days, the source indicated.
“The possibility of this had never even crossed my mind,” Trimble said. “When you look at the list of the people already in the Hall of Fame, it’s pretty humbling. I grew up watching the Cincinnati Reds, and Johnny Bench was one of my favorite players.”
Bench is a member of the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. So are Jim Thorpe, Bud Wilkinson, Henry Iba, Mickey Mantle, Wayman Tisdale, Steve Largent, Barry Switzer, Lee Roy Selmon, Barry Sanders and Troy Aikman, along with another of Trimble’s favorites — nationally renowned angler Jimmy Houston.
“Zillions of impressive people,” Trimble said. “That’s why it’s hard to believe that my name would be on a list with those people. Incredible.”
In 22 seasons as the Jenks head coach, Trimble has more state championships (13) than home losses (eight). His overall record is 241-40.
There was an 0-4 start this season, but the Trojans rallied with a six-game winning streak to capture the District 6AI-1 title.
In a first-round playoff game on Friday, Jenks hosts Moore. Trimble and the Trojans have prevailed in 49 consecutive meetings with Oklahoma City-area opponents.
In September, the 54-year-old Trimble told the Tulsa World that the 2017 season probably will be his finale as the Jenks head coach. He is battling the effects of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease). There is no known cure for ALS.
