Phil "PT" Barnes

Phil Barnes (P.T.), age 65, went to be with the Lord on August 2nd, 2022. Phil was born in Tulsa on September 9, 1956. He grew up in Seminole with his sister, Brenda and mother, Marie. He graduated from Seminole High School in 1974. After high school he received a scholarship to play basketball at Seminole Junior College for two years. Next, he attended East Central University for one year and played tennis. He then attended USAO on a tennis scholarship. His record his senior year was 30 wins and 6 losses. He was named the “Most Valuable Player” on the team. He graduated with a degree in Physical Health Education in 1981.

His first job out of college was as a teaching pro at the Chickasha Country Club. In 1982, he took a job coaching basketball in Elgin. During this time, his tennis ranking was #1 in the state in the men’s thirties division. In 1985, he got a job in Duncan as the boys’ tennis and basketball coach, as well as an elementary P.E. teacher. He coached basketball for 11 seasons. He taught P.E. at Irving Elementary where he met his wife, Paula. The two married in December 1987. In 1988, he began teaching P.E. at Emerson Elementary where he remained until 2022. Phil and Paula had their only child, Melanie, in 1991. Later, Phil went on to be Melanie’s high school tennis coach. Although Phil only had one biological child, he always said he had many other children.

He coached tennis for 36 seasons. He became the head boys’ coach in 1985 and the head girls’ coach in 1998. In those years he coached 6 boys’ state championship teams (1987, 1988, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006), 1 girls’ state championship team (2013), 3 boys’ state runner-up teams (1993, 2000, 2004), 7 girls’ state runner-up teams (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015), 20 boys’ regional championships, 15 girls’ regional championships, 59 all-staters, and 45 individual state champions. He has been inducted into 5 halls of fame: the Duncan Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame, the USAO Athletic Hall of Fame, the Missouri Valley Oklahoma Tennis Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He credited his students and their parents for making his job easy and regardless of wins or losses, he was so proud of each and every one of them.

He was preceded in death by mother, Marie Dorr. Phil is survived by: wife, Paula; daughter, Melanie Marie Cox; son-in-law, Connor Cox; grandson, Murray Cox; sister, Brenda Whitley and spouse David Whitley; niece, Billie Gamble and spouse Jackie Gamble; niece, Dava Quisenberry and spouse Steve Quisenberry; nephew, Davy Whitley; great nieces: Brooke Gamble, Jaycee Gamble, and Halle Quisenberry; great nephew, Jake Quisenberry; brother-in-law, Andrew Dabbs; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary and Tracy Odell; niece, Katie Butler.

Services will be held at First Baptist Church - Duncan on Saturday, August 6th, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. A reception will be held at the Duncan High School tennis courts at 7:00 p.m. Saturday evening.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Duncan High School Tennis.

Online condolences can be made at www.whittfh.com.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Phil "PT" Barnes, please visit our floral store.