Edward George Biles, age 88, of Missouri City, Texas passed away on April 5, 2020 due to advanced leukemia. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 18, 1931. His Mother was Mary Alice Shannon and father was Edward G. Biles. He was married to Marie Biles for 15 years and Jaqueline R. Biles for 27 years. Ed has a distinguished career as a football coach. At the age of 13 he knew what he wanted to do for his life’s work and it was to become a football coach. As he often said he never had a headache or worked a day in his life because he loved what he did for his life’s work. He attended Reading High School where he was a four sport letterman all four years of his high school days, and after attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio known the as the cradle of coaches, he graduated in 1953 as with a Masters degree and as a graduate student began his coaching career. His first job after college was as an assistant coach at Woodward High School in Cincinnati. He became the head coach there and started the football program from scratch as Woodward was a new school. After a successful run at Woodward he was offered the job as assistant coaching position at Xavier University in Cincinnati. After five years as one of the assistant coaches he became the head coach at Xavier from 1963 until 1968. During this time Ed had a great run of success at Xavier. His teams were outmanned but had heart and determination. Ed coached the first African American quarterback in Division 1 football in Carroll Williams and that was way before anyone else even dreamed of a black quarterback. It was one of his most proud accomplishments of his career. In 1968 he was offered a position as assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League and started his professional coaching career. In his pro career, he had stops at New Orleans Saints, the New York Jets and came to the Houston Oilers in 1974. He started there as a defensive coach and became the defensive coordinator in 1975. In 1980 he was named the Head Coach of the Houston Oilers. During Ed’s career he served under many great coaches including Tom Fears, Weeb Eubank, Sid Gillman and Bum Phillips.
Ed was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and after retiring from football was seen around Houston at the various charity golf tournaments that he attended. Golf was his great passion in retirement and was a member at Quail Valley Country Club for many years He left behind many great friends and golfing pals at Quail Valley. Ed never met a stranger and loved to have fun with anybody that would listen to him. He spent many hours with his beloved grandchildren, Nicole Ann Biles Fulp, Stephen Biles, Adrienne Biles Copper and Nicole Biles. He is survived by his three sons, Michael James Biles, James William Biles and John Edward Biles. He also is survived by four great grandchildren, Hunter Fulp, Noah Fulp, Bennett Copper and Lincoln Biles. His many players he coached and his golf friends at Quail Valley and South Shore Harbour Country Clubs, he will be missed by many.
A private burial service with family and close friends will be held October 2 in Cincinnati, Ohio. A memorial service will be planned in the Houston area as soon as is permitted.
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