Legendary Texas high school football coach Sonny Detmer dies at 76

SAN ANTONIO – One of Texas’s all-time winningest head football coaches, Sonny Detmer, is dead at age 76.

For 35 seasons, Detmer coached at Somerset, Mission and Southwest high schools, winning 235 games and several district titles, KSAT News reports.

Somerset Independent School District confirmed Detmer’s death on Facebook, posting the following:

“Bulldog Nation mourns the loss of one of our iconic family members. Somerset Head Football Coach Sonny Detmer went home to be with the Lord this afternoon. Words fail to suffice in detail the lasting impact Coach Detmer had not only on generations of Bulldogs student-athletes but for the entire Somerset community. For us in Bulldog Nation, Sonny was more than a legend in Texas High School Football lore with the famous high-octane, high-scoring passing attacks he brought to the game. Coach Detmer was a servant leader and a father figure to thousands of athletes in a career spanning five decades, leaving a legacy of life lessons much larger than any game. Information about any funeral arrangements or memorial services will be forthcoming. Right now, our minds are with the Detmer family. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences go out to Betty Detmer, and everyone in Sonny’s family. May Coach Detmer Rest In Peace...”

Detmer’s family has been playing in the South Texas football institution for decades. His sons, Ty and Koy, both played as quarterbacks for their father’s team and moved up to play prominent careers in the NFL.

Read more on KPRC 2′s sister station website, KSAT.