Stephen F. Austin State University

Gary Moses often worked at middle school football games at Patti Welder Stadium to supplement his income as a school teacher.

Moses always kept an eye on Jack Cook to watch for a nod of his head or a point of his finger. Moses understood it was a signal to clip a minute or two off the clock because the game had gotten out of hand.

“You knew if he nodded his head you better do it,” Moses said. “I didn’t mind him telling me what to do. He was such a nice man.”

Cook, who coached basketball in Victoria for 20 years before becoming the Victoria school district’s first athletic director, died Monday at the age of 88 after a long battle with cancer.

Funeral services were held Thursday in Victoria.

“For all the years I was in Victoria,” former Victoria High girls basketball coach Jan Lahodny said, “Jack Cook was my mentor, my friend, my gymnasium father.”

Cook grew up near Lufkin and lettered in basketball at Stephen F. Austin University before beginning his career as a teacher and coach. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers during World War II.

Cook came to Victoria in 1952 as the head coach at Patti Welder High School and held the same position when Victoria High opened in 1958.

He had a record of 371-221 and led the 1955 Patti Welder team to the Class 3A state championship at Gregory Gymnasium in Austin.

Patti Welder converted 21 of its 26 field goals in the second half of the semifinals against Kilgore to erase a 34-30 deficit and earn an 80-66 win, setting a record for total points scored. The Stingarees beat Beaumont French 60-51 in the final and finished the season with a 29-4 record.

“It was a much slower game,” said John Moore, Patti Welder’s 6-foot-8 post, who went on to play at Baylor. “All teams were coached to follow a set pattern on defense and offense. We had a bunch of plays and we were suited to that type of game.”

Cook became the Victoria school district’s athletic director in 1972 and hired Mike Smith, an assistant coach at R.L. Turner in Carrollton as his replacement at Victoria High.

Smith compiled a 643-228 record in his 26 seasons and led the Stingarees to two state tournament appearances.

“When I was coaching, I’d often ask him something,” Smith said. “He would never interfere, but he was there to help when I really needed it.”

Cook also hired Lahodny, who was coaching at Shiner and she led the Stingarettes to nine state tournament appearances and three state championships in her 21 years as head coach.

“Oh gosh, there is so much to say, but he was a master in playoff negotiations,” Lahodny said. “He taught me a lot about that and the impact of a high-post player versus a zone defense.”

Cook was inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association’s Hall of Honor in 1977 before retiring in 1985.

“He was so fair,” Smith said. “He knew you and you knew he was always going to give you a fair shake. He sincerely cared about every sport.”