Bert Coan was an athletic phenom at Pasadena High School, excelling in football, track, and basketball. He nearly single-handedly led the Eagles to their only state track championship in 1957, winning multiple individual events and setting a state long jump record. On the football field, he was a feared running back, earning All-State honors and guiding Pasadena's offense for three years. After a brief stint at TCU, Coan transferred to Kansas, where he became a prominent ball carrier, even playing a key role in a controversial upset over #1 ranked Missouri. He went on to play seven seasons in the American Football League with the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs, Coan playing for the Chiefs in Super Bowl I. Coan was inducted into the Pasadena ISD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2015. A scholarship was established in his memory following his death in 2022.