Community Champion: Cathedral basketball coach Tony Harper coaches final game before retirement

EL PASO, Texas - It was a proper sendoff for one of the best high school basketball coaches in El Paso.

Tony Harper coached his final game Tuesday night ahead of his retirement.

After the game there was a ceremony to honor coach Harper.

Several coaches and many of Harper's former players attended the game to wish him well in his retirement.

Harper's team then presented him with a game ball, and also gave a bouquet of flowers to Harper's wife, Andre.

Harper's coaching career began in 1968, and came to a close in 2025.

Before he became the head coach at Cathedral, Harper coached the boys basketball teams at Burges, El Paso and Montwood.

Harper has been the head coach at Cathedral for the past 11 years.

In 2017, Harper reached 1,000 career wins and at the time was the leader in total wins among active boys basketball coaches in Texas.

As fate would have it, Cathedral defeated the Patterson Institute to send coach Harper off with one final victory to add to his win total of 1,159 wins.

Harper is a member of the El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame.