Small Texas Town Mourns Death of OSU Coach

Kurt Budke coached at Trinity Valley Community College

A Texas community college is mourning the deaths of Oklahoma State University coach Kurt Budke and an assistant coach.

Budke was a former head coach of Trinity Valley Community College's Lady Cardinals basketball team.

On the school's campus in Athens, it's impossible to walk into the gym and not feel Budke's presence.

"We just felt like he was going to be one of those guys that was going to be around forever," said Jerry King, TVCC vice president of instruction.

And it wasn't long before the small-town coach started making big headlines.

"I believe I'm correct to say he only lost three games at home during those eight years he was here," King said.

In those eight years, Budke won four national titles. The pictures of the winning teams are the first thing you see when walking into the gym.

Budke's assistant coach at OSU, Miranda Serna, also died in the crash. She was a former player of his at TVCC.

"Oh, we've lost two people," King said. "She was very much [an] important part of our college and very much important part of these basketball teams."

King said Budke was inducted into the TVCC Hall of Fame in 2008.

He was back on the Athens campus for the 2011 Hall of Fame ceremony just six weeks ago.

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