Former West Orange-Stark coach and educator Del Basinger lost his battle with cancer Tuesday, July 21. He was 71.
Basinger started working at WOS in 2006 after stints in Anahuac, Kountze, West Brook and Ozen. He retired in 2018 after coaching the linemen to four straight trips to the State Championship game, with back to back titles in 2015-16.
Longtime Offensive Coordinator Ed Dyer had a tough time getting out the words to describe his time with Basinger. “He was a friend and a great coach. Most of all he loved the kids like they were his own.”
One of his former players, Te’Ron Brown posted “Coach Bay” would pick him up each Friday before a game and they would “get fat on Danny’s breakfast” while talking about the game plan in the parking lot. He said he was the coach he would visit even after he was out of high school.
Originally from Arkansas, Basinger started his coaching career there with success as both an assistant and head coach before coming to Texas in 1981.
After 46 years in education, Basinger was inducted into the Southeast Texas Coaches Association’s Hall of Honor in 2019.
His son Brandon, who works for the Beaumont Independent School District, said, “He lived for teaching and coaching. Nothing could keep him from the kids. As for his time at WOS, he loved every moment of it. The culture of excellence and high expectations for students there spoke to his core belief that students will rise to the level of faith you have in their ability to succeed.”
Services for Coach Basinger will be posted when they’re finalized.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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