Basketball has been a part of Bowie ever since its doors first opened. Many students come and go and some even become part of Bowie’s history. For this year, the current boys basketball teams contribute to that long legacy of Bowie basketball, but they are not the only ones.

Coaches are one of the most important things to basketball and to any sport, without their hard work most teams wouldn’t make it far. One of these great coaches, Stephen Ingram, has been a part of the high school basketball experience for a while now, and he is well into his 27th year coaching.

“I started coaching basketball before I started teaching.” Ingram said. “I became the head basketball coach at Lockhart High School and after that I was the head basketball coach at Akins High School.”

Ingram has been coaching basketball at Bowie for 11 years and has been teaching math for those 11 years at Bowie as well.

“I have been teaching math for 27 years.  Since Geometry is my favorite subject, I have taught Geometry for most of those years,” Ingram said. “I have also taught Fundamentals of Math, Algebra I, Algebra II, and Probability and Statistics.”

Howard Thompson is there to help Ingram coach.

“Ingram definitely values his time as a coach,” Thompson said. “He uses it wisely to provide the best for his team.”

Thompson has known Ingram since the 90’s and has been coaching along side him for 11 years at Bowie. He sees a great future for Ingram.

“Ingram’s future life would be spending his time with his family, photography, and possibly coaching,” Thompson said.

Ingram and Thompson have coached well together in the past and in the present. Ingram has strategies that can be very good on the court.

“Ingrams style of coaching is one of strategy, and the element of surprise,” Thompson said.

The coaching styles of Ingram help the team greatly, and his attitude towards the sport is also contributing to the team.

“Ingram has a personality of doing what is needed and necessary and not be a problem,” Thompson said.

Ingram has many people that like him either as a teacher or a coach, but his future seems bright for the way he is heading.

“I love Austin and I have family in the area,” Ingram said. “I think I will stay in or around Austin in the future, and love teaching and I expect I will continue to teach and coach for the next 10 or 12 years.”