Stan Bonewitz​

Stan Bonewitz changed the way East Central High School looked at the game of basketball. Before becoming a coach, however, Bonewitz was an exceptional athlete in San Antonio. After graduating from St. Gerard High School, he attended St. Mary’s University. There, he was a four-year player in both basketball and baseball.​

Bonewitz coached first at St. Gerard for 12 seasons before becoming coach of East Central, where he became a local basketball great. During the 1980’s, thanks to a group of players dubbed the “Wild Bunch”, the Hornets began challenging the conventional basketball style, playing up-tempo and with fervor. Even after the group’s departure, the playing style stuck and became Bonewitz’s signature style.​

In an era where slow, smash-mouth basketball was the norm, Bonewitz found success with his unconvential coaching style. Using aggressive, full-court defense to create quick offense, the Hornets were a scoring machine. Of his 24 seasons with the team, they led the city in scoring in half of them. In 1995, Bonewitz had his best season yet, and one of the best in San Antonio history. The team, led by his son, Stan Bonewitz Jr., finished 35-0 and won the state championship against Dallas Carter, 108-86. Despite their lack of size, the team’s fast pace allowed them to dominate, averaging a state record 108.8 points per game. Bonewitz retired from coaching after 24 seasons with the Hornets. Over his 36 years as a coach in, he held a record of 708-432. In 2011, the East Central basketball gym was renamed in his honor.​