Cripps recalled for more than ’78 title
Longtime Stratford coach impacted players, students’ lives off the field
Every proverb one can live by comes from Oscar Cripps.
At least it feels that way for sons Keith and Craig after spending most of last week hearing an outpour of their father’s mottos from those who crossed his path.
Known for his 26 years as Stratford’s football head coach and the Spartans’ landmark 1978 state championship season, Cripps died Sept. 12 at 78. He was buried Thursday, leaving a legacy deeply rooted in Texas high school football history and many lives off the field.
The 1978 Class 4A championship team is one of the state’s greatest and the numbers even hold up against the current era. The Spartans were 15-0 in 1978, holding nine opponents to a touchdown or less. They rode the wishbone to more than 7,000 yards and 532 points overall while outscoring five playoff opponents 164-49.
The run finished with a 29-13 win over Plano inside the Astrodome. Craig James, who headlined SMU’s Pony Express in the 1980s and later played in a Super Bowl, rushed for a then-4A record 2,411 yards that season. He calls it the best team he’s ever played on.
Cripps’ attitude toward the game and life was infectious. He held the same reverence for backup players as he did for starters. The score mattered to Cripps, of course, but he often harped on players never losing sight of football being a microcosm of their own lives. He used any moment he could as a teachable moment. He was a coach’s coach.
He never took the credit. “Old school still wins,” James said. “Nick Saban, Bill Belichick. They make their guys run on and off the field. They make them do the assignments the right way. Oscar Cripps made us run on the field and off the field. He made us do our assignments the right way. Old school still wins.”
Cripps seemingly always said the right things, too.
“Do your best, don’t sweat the rest and let the outcome take care of itself ” was one. Craig admits it might come across as a funny quote, but it did wonders for many.
James jokes he’s unsure if Cripps is the author of the “No I in team” moniker. All he knows is he heard it from Cripps first.
“It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit” later turned into “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when we give God the credit.” Cripps was passionate about his faith. He was a member of Houston’s First Baptist Church as a deacon and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“He lived what he preached,” Craig said. “He wasn’t one to talk about accomplishments as far as success on the field. He was more about developing relationships with people.”
Cripps’ legacy also was infectious to his sons, who are both coaching. Keith is the head coach at Spring Woods and Craig is the defensive coordinator at Houston Memorial, both of which are in Spring Branch ISD along with Stratford.
His sons grew up in the locker room and both played for their father. At one point, Cripps coached with Keith as assistants under Bill Barron at Elsik. At another point, Cripps also was an assistant under Craig at Northbrook.
“Never thought twice about it,” said Keith when asked about his chances of ending up in another profession after his playing days. “Never even crossed my mind that I would do something else.”
The stories few have heard about Cripps accentuate how impactful his life was.
Lorraine Cannistra was a wheelchair-bound freshman who knocked on Cripps’ office door asking for training. She thought he’d only give her a few tips to tackle alone. Instead, Cripps worked out with her around the track for four years, inspiring a Paralympic career.
Cripps was on the right side of history, too. In the late 1960s, he was the head coach at Hemphill in East Texas where he had a Black running back in the starting lineup. Parents who preferred a white running back complained to the superintendent, who then asked Cripps why he was insistent on starting a player that caused so many complaints.
“My dad turned to him and said ‘What if that was your son?’ ” Craig said. “That was the end of the conversation and the kid played.”