Norman Lee Phillips

Sweetwater, Texas. He attended Borger High School and West Texas State University where he was a

standout athlete and played on the winning Sun Bowl team while in college. In 1952 Norman married the love of his life, Eleanor. Together they had three children, daughter Karen, son Kyle and daughter Kimberly. They lived a beautiful life together until she passed in 2009.

Norman was a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, great uncle, coach, mentor, horse lover and craftsman. He spent his Fridays and Saturdays at sporting events working and mentoring young athletes and his Sundays riding his horses and spending time with his son. Coach Phillips started his 67 years of coaching in Plainview, Texas coaching football and track and field. He later moved to Pampa, Texas where he coached state record holders in the mile and shot put and future Olympic and World record holders. In 1965, Coach Phillips moved his family to El Paso and began coaching Track and Field, Cross Country and Football at Irvin High School. During his coaching career at Irvin, he coached several State athletes and developed State Champions in the high jump, mile run and 200 meters. In 1965 he coached the Irvin Rockets Cross Country Team to a State Championship. Irvin Track and Field was always on top and the team to beat with Phillips as their coach.

After retiring in 1990 from Irvin, Coach Phillips joined his daughter in 1993 at Hanks HS as a Track and

Field and Cross County coach. During his 29 years at Hanks, he earned the name “Coach Daddy Phillips”, given to him by all the athletes that loved him over the years. He was still coaching and molding young athletes at his time of passing. Coach Phillips was a certified track official and was known for running off the high jump here in town and at the UIL Regional meet. He also worked at the UIL State Track and Field meet for several years. Athletes from all over town would talk to him and seek his advice. He was extremely knowledgably and willing to help anyone he could. He cared about kids and loved coaching. He was respected and admired by coaches and athletes. When he first moved to El Paso, he was instrumental in starting the summer youth programs with Parks and Recreation including summer track and field which still goes strong today. Coach Phillips made an impact in the lives of many high school athletes throughout the years and in 1990 was inducted into the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame for his excellence in coaching.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father, wife of 70 years Eleanor (Smith) Phillips, daughter karen Miranda, brother Orville and sister Arleta. Norman is survived by his son Kyle Phillips, daughter kimberly Gomez, son in law Horacio Gomez, granddaughters Jana and Jordan, niece and nephew Juanita and Keith Upchurch (Amanda and Bart Upchurch) and nieces Joyce Echels and Cookie Woods, several great nieces and nephews and hundreds of friends and former athletes that he loved like his own children.

Services for Norman Phillips will be held Saturday June 11, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at the Martin Funeral

home at 1460 George Dieter. In lieu of flowers please make donation in his name to Saint Jude’s children hospital in Norman’s name.