July 22, 2009
Lamar head coach Steve Roccaforte has announced that Dr. Mark Honea, who served as the director of operations for the men's basketball program since July of 2008, has resigned to become the head girls' basketball coach at Memorial High School.
A veteran of more than 25 years of coaching and a native of the Golden Triangle region, Honea was responsible for monitoring the academic progress of Lamar's student-athletes while assisting in a myriad of duties during practices and games as a part of Roccaforte's staff.
"Dr. Honea was a very important influence and mentor to me personally when I was in high school," Roccaforte said. "He taught me history and government and he also helped guide me in a positive direction during my formative years. He retired prematurely to care for his mother and father and I wanted to give him the opportunity to use his talent and skills to the best of his ability.
"He did an amazing job with our academics over a 12 month period and he also made a sizable, unsolicited monetary donation to build the John M. Honea & Ruth W. Honea Strength & Conditioning Center in the Montagne Center for the men and women's basketball programs.
"His main goals and concerns have always been the same - to help student athletes to achieve at the highest level both academically and athletically. He wanted the weight room to be there forever for the men and women student-athletes who play basketball for Lamar University. He did a remarkable job for us and I'll never be able to show him how much we appreciated his efforts."
From 1978-2002 Honea was the head girls basketball coach at Port Arthur Jefferson High School before taking over the program at Memorial HS in 2002-03 when Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen F. Austin High Schools were consolidated. He compiled a career record of 574-212 for a .730 winning percentage in 25 seasons.
He led his teams to the University Interscholastic League playoffs 18 times while claiming 10 district championships and a pair of district runner-up showings. Honea was named District Coach of the Year nine times as he led his teams to 15 20-win seasons.
Honea was inducted into the Southeast Texas Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2005. He was named the PAISD Teacher of the Year in 1989 and received the prestigious Denius-UIL Sponsor Excellence Award in 1995.
In addition to his coaching duties at Jefferson, Honea spent 18 years as an academic advisor for the schools' athletes with the largest contingent coming from the football team. He served seven years as the Girls' Athletic Coordinator and one year as the interim Athletic Director.
Before going to Jefferson he was a social studies teacher at Lincoln High School from 1974-77. And since retiring in 2003 he has remained active in his church - serving on the finance committee - and had a number of scholarly articles published.
Among the honors he has had bestowed on him during his time as an educator include the 1990 University of Texas Outstanding High School Teacher Award, the 1989 Port Arthur ISD Teacher of the Year Award, the TABC Presidential Award in 1987 and recognition in Who's Who in the South and Southwest in 1983.
Honea has also served on numerous local, regional and state committees, including the TABC Girls All-State Committee, the State Economics Textbook Committee, Chairman of the Academic All-State Committee, the TABC Board of Directors.
He has also given back to Jefferson HS on a number of levels. He was president of the Yellow Jacket Alumni Association from 1992-2001 and was the founder of the Jefferson HS Hall of Honor in 1988. He was later inducted into the YJAA Hall of Honor in 2000.
Honea was born and raised in Port Arthur and graduated from Jefferson HS in 1966. He earned a bachelor's degree in government from Lamar in 1970. He played for Billy Tubbs' 1966-67 freshman squad that went 12-6 and scored over 100 points eight times.
Honea received a master's degree in education from Lamar in 1975 and a doctorate from the University of Houston in 1980.
