Memorials › Alvin Englebert "Bull" Kotrola

Alvin Englebert "Bull" Kotrola

7 Nov 1910 – 1 Oct 1967

Birth	7 Nov 1910
Death	1 Oct 1967
Cemetery	Granger Brethren Church Cemetery Granger , Williamson County , Texas , USA
Added by	Joe Don Kotrla-Chipps on 26 Dec 2007
FaG	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23546249

Gravesite details

He is buried in the Kotrla family plot. In 1936 he changed the spelling of his name to include the extra "o" since everyone pronounced and spelled it that way. His son legally changed it back to the original spelling "Kotrla" in 1970.

Bio

From Coach Kotrola's death certificate #66395 Name: ALVIN ENGLEBERT KOTROLA Birth is 7 Nov 1911 -- tombstone reads 1910 ~~ born Granger, Williamson Co, TX Died 1 Oct 1967 - 23200 Hempstead Hwy (Hwy 290) Father was Henry J. Kotrola Mother was __?__ Vitek Informant was his son Jerry Kotrola Was a WW II veteran Name of cemetery on D/C is Granger Brethern Cemetery - Granger, Texas From the Houston Chronicle Newspaper 3 Oct 1967 COACH OF "CINDERELLA" MUSTANGS KOTROLAS' RITES WEDNESDAY Alvin E. (Bull) Kotrola, who was killed in a head-on automobile collision along with his wife Maryanne, Sunday night was the Texas High School Coach of the Year in 1954 That was the year his "Cindrella" Stephen F. Austin Mustangs won only one of their first five games, then captured the next 7 to advance to the state 4 A football finals. THEY LOST TO COACH Chuck Moser's Abilene Eagles in the last 56 seconds at Jeppesen Stadium 14-7. Kotrola, 56, who once played tackle for the late Pete Cawthron at Texas Tech, retired from coaching in the fall of 1957 and became assistant principal at Austin High. No team in the Houston school district has advanced so far in the state playoff since the "Cinderella" team. Kotrola, a native of Granger, produced several Southwest Conference stars, including Vince Matthews, who quarterbacked the state finalists and later led Texas to a victory over Oklahoma. OTHER KOTROLA-coached athletes were Babe Dreymala of Texas, Randy Sims and Buddy Payne of Texas A&M, Ted Crenwelge and Gil Bartosh of TCU and Buddy Welborn of Navy. Bull, a big gruff-voiced man, developed Bartosh at Granger High before his Austin tenure. Bartosh, one of the Frogs' all-time greats, is now the backfield coach at Rice University. He started his coaching career on Kotrola's Austin staff. KOTROLA IS survived by two sons, Jerry Kotrola of Houston and Joe Sheldon Kotrola of Honolulu, Hawaii and a daughter, Mrs. Ednauna Owens of Scotland. Service for the Kotrolas will be held at 10 A.M. Wednesday at the South Main Baptist Church, with the Rev Luke N. Ates officiating. Bull's burial will be in Taylor, Texas. The Houston Funeral Home, 1401 Crawford, is making arrangements. All members of the Houston School Board will be honorary pallbearers. Coach Kotrola was the coach when I attended Stephen F. Austin (class of 1954) It was a wonderful happy time to live in Houston TX and attend football games. I was in the Scottish Brigade Drill Team so got to attend all at- home games. We got to attend an out of town game that year traveling by train to Austin Texas to play their Austin High school. The band and the drill team performed and our team won the game 14-0. The football team, the band, the drill team and many teachers and fans all rode the train to and from the game. (submitted by Betty Lang Walker) -------------------------

Inscription

Alvin E. Kotrola

Photos

Family

Parents

Spouse

Siblings

Children

Export GEDCOM

This person only · Entire connected family