Bryan ISD remembers and honors the incredible life of Merrill Green, who passed away on Sept. 29 at the age of 94. As the head football coach of Bryan High School for 20 years and Bryan ISD Athletic Director, Coach Green had a profound impact on the lives of student-athletes, their families and the Bryan community that will forever impact future generations. Teaching the importance of good character, hard work and commitment, Merrill Green’s legacy will be remembered and celebrated under the Friday night lights for many years to come.
Bryan ISD is immensely grateful to have been a part of Merrill Green’s life and story. A native of Chickasha, Oklahoma, Coach Green was an integral part of two National Championship programs at the University of Oklahoma, as a member of the 1950 National Championship football team and the 1951 National Championship baseball team. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma in 1954, he served as an officer in the Army for two years before returning to the gridiron as a coach in 1956. His coaching career included stops at Wichita State University, University of Missouri, University of Arkansas and Texas Tech University. He then moved into high school coaching, spending seven years at Abilene Cooper High School before coming to Bryan in 1972. His last 20 years of his coaching career were all spent at Bryan High where he served as head football coach until his retirement in 1992.
While at Bryan High, Coach Green went 138-65-6 with an overall record of 197-82-9 as a high school coach.
Following his retirement, Coach Green was elected into the Texas High School Coaches Hall of Honor in 1992. Then, in 2008, the Bryan ISD football stadium (formerly Viking Stadium) was renamed Merrill Green Stadium in honor of Coach Green and his legacy to Bryan ISD Athletics.
An influential member of the Bryan community for more than 50 years, Coach Green also led in a number of leadership roles off the field, serving as president of the Bryan ISD School Board, president of the Texas High School Coaches Association, District Governor of Rotary International, as an active member of the Bryan Rotary Club and in multiple roles at the Church of the Nazarene where he was a longtime member.
We are proud to have Merrill Green as part of the Bryan ISD story, and we are honored that he chose to be part of our latest video, "Bryan ISD: A Legacy of Success and Community." His legacy lives on in Bryan.
Coach Merrill Green's Legacy:
Children First. Always.