Before World War II Tom Chávez graduated from El Paso High School as an all-state basketball guard before gaining an athletic scholarship at Hardin Simmons University in Texas. Chávez then enlisted in the US Air Force, where he trained as a glider pilot at an airfield in Lubbock. Following the war, he continued with his basketball career for two more years before becoming a successful coach. He first coached at Jefferson High School in El Paso before becoming the head coach of the Mexican national basketball team. Chávez led the team at both the 1959 Pan American Games in Chicago, placing fourth, and at the 1960 Olympics in Roma. After his coaching career he worked as a principal for more than two decades.
Mexico
United States