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Donald Ray DesCombes

Inducted 1994

FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, TRACK & FIELD

Don DesCombes distinguished himself as a competitor, coach and sports administrator for more than a half century, and was responsible for founding the Colorado High School Coaches Association in 1933.

Born November 18, 1901 in Clinton Missouri, DesCombes graduated from College High at Central Missouri University, playing guard on the basketball team that won the Missouri state championship in 1918.

DesCombes received his B.S. degree at Central Missouri University in 1924 after winning three basketball and football letters, apiece. He was named honorable mention on the National AAU All-Star team in 1923, and honorable mention All-America by the Spalding Guide in 1923.

DesCombes began his high school coaching career at Denver’s North High in 1924 where he assisted in football, basketball and was head coach of the track team that won the Denver-Boulder league championship in 1928.

Later, DesCombes served as head basketball coach at Manual High for 12 years. He also coached baseball for five years and football for eight. He won one city title in football, and two city titles and one state championship in basketball.

DesCombes was president of Rocky Mountain Basketball Officials Association and was a basketball official for 26 years. He worked 18 National AAU tournaments, plus countless college and high school association tournaments. He was also a football official for 35 years and worked several post-season bowl games, including the Gator Bowl. He also served as president of the Big Eight Conference Officials Association.

DesCombes was a member of the executive committee of the National High School Athletic Association for three years and served on its board of directors for seven years. He won a distinguished award for that organization and was selected to both the Colorado and the Denver High School Coaches Hall of Fame.

He was the first mayor of Broomfield and also served as president of the Colorado Municipal League of Cities.

Donald Ray DesCombes

DesCombes distinguished himself as a competitor, coach and sports administrator for more than a half century.