Wilbur Braithwaite

Wilbur T. Braithwaite (born May 24, 1926) is a former high school basketball and tennis coach for Manti High School. He was honored with the NFHS award of Merit in 2006, and was selected as an Olympic torch bearer for his city Manti, Utah on February 5, 2002.

"Coach" was also known as a poet, philosopher, business-owner, musician, composer, and pen-pal. He is believed to have written thousands of uplifting, hand-written letters over his life to people all over the country including John Wooden and Bob Knight.

Personal Life and Education
Wilbur Braithwaite was born to Charles G. and Eva Tuttle Braithwaite in Manti, Utah, and graduated from Manti High School. During World War II at the age of 18 years, he served in Company A of the 253rd Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division in the European Theater of Operations. He was injured by a "Bouncing Betty" landmine and took 11 months to recover. He received the purple heart for these wounds received near the border of France and Southern Germany.

After he returned home, Braithwaite enrolled at Snow College. He also attended Weber State College, and Utah State University and played basketball and tennis there. Ultimately he earned a master's degree in physical education and counseling from the University of Michigan. He turned down a job offer to be a physical education teacher and tennis coach from Utah State University to work at Manti High School in 1951.

In 1952 on July 18 he married Jane Anderson in the Manti Utah Temple. Together they had 7 children. Braithwaite was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of the most visible and supportive members of the Braithwaite Family Organization. He died in his home in 2010.

Coaching career
In 37 years of coaching high school basketball, Braithwaite was never given a technical foul.

Accomplishments and Honors
In 1999, Manti High School named its new gym and tennis courts after Braithwaite. In 1989 he was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Assoociations Hall of Fame.

Philosophy
Braithwaite's philosophy appeared in coach's quarterly. A poem of his appeared on the front page of The Washington Coach (the official publication of the Washington State Coaches Association) in fall 2002.