George Harold Houston, born Dec. 9, 1950, died of a rare form of vasculitis — Granulomatosis with polyangiitis — on Oct. 26, 2023. He was 72.
Coach George Houston served 32 years on the bench for his alma mater, Juneau-Douglas High School. After graduating with a state championship as a player in 1969, he pursued his college degree at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Upon receipt of his degree in 1973, Coach Houston returned to Juneau and began his career in teaching. This was also the start of his coaching career at JDHS. He spent his first 18 years as an assistant varsity and head JV coach.
Coach Houston’s ability to instruct and motivate players, his commitment to the basketball program, and his loyalty to the school as a teacher were rewarded when he was named the head coach of the Juneau-Douglas High School Crimson Bears in 1992. He served his school and the community of Juneau in that capacity for fourteen seasons. As head coach, Houston won 279 varsity games, including twelve Class 4A Region V Championships and back-to-back Class 4A State titles. Class 4A is the highest level in Alaska. During his 14-year tenure at the helm for JDHS, Coach Houston was named Alaska’s Coach of the Year three times and only finished out of the top five in the final state standings twice.
After retiring as a teacher and coach from JDHS in 2006, Coach Houston continued to share his knowledge of the game and worked to develop the fundamental skills in the youth of Juneau and Alaska through various avenues. He has volunteered at numerous summer basketball camps. He coached athletes from around the state on Team Alaska at the Arctic Winter Games. He has served as a coach for a local AAU program that focuses on growing the game through middle school athletes. He even sat on the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame selection committee.
All the while, Coach Houston discussed basketball with his colleagues ensuring that his understanding of the game was passed along. Through coaching middle school teams, mentoring young coaches, and even officiating club games, Coach Houston worked just as hard in retirement as he did during his illustrious career to ensure the future of basketball in Alaska for posterity. There is no doubt that Coach Houston’s lasting impact on the game will be felt in the state for generations to come.
To read more about George and how friends and colleagues remember him, please read George Houston: A Remembrance by Klas Stolpe which was featured in the Juneau Empire.
A public celebration was held on Monday, January 8th, 2023 at Juneau-Douglas Yadaa.at Kalé High School. Donations in his memory, made to the Coach George Houston Memorial Fund at the Juneau Community Foundation will support causes that Coach cared about.
To Donate
Donate by credit card using the link below or make your checks payable to: Juneau Community Foundation, 350 North Franklin Street, Suite 4, Juneau, Alaska 99801. Please call us at 907-523-5450, or email info@juneaucf.org for information on donating stock, wiring funds, establishing a Fund, gifting a portion of a Qualified Charitable Distribution from your IRA, or naming the Juneau Community Foundation in your will as a designated beneficiary.
