Tom McPherson’s name is synonymous with Katy high school and city of Katy.

For 34 years, McPherson has donned the red and white, leading the Tigers on the baseball diamond and helping mold young minds.

The Katy head coach was at the helm as the Tigers rose and become one of the premier programs in baseball in the state of Texas, leading the Tigers to a state runner up trophy in 2006 and numerous district titles.

But the McPherson era at Katy had to come to an end at some time, and that end point came when the Tigers season ended against Strake Jesuit.

McPherson had announced in April he would be retiring at the seasons end and although it was a very successful year for the Tigers finished with a Class 6A Region III semifinal appearance.

“It’s bittersweet right now,” McPherson said. “We needed one more bounce to go our way. It was a good series and the pitching by both sides was phenomenal. They kept out bats in check and that was the difference. We just couldn’t get those key hits today. The last one was always going to be hard.”

McPherson helped grow young players games and grow teenagers into young men for his whole career. To his players, that meant everything.

“He taught me so much, he was like a father figure to me,” said senior left fielder Jhonnatan Ferrebus. “He taught me how to hit and how to be a better player in every way. When I got here freshman year, I had a lot I needed to improve on. He helped me with that through my sophomore year and then last year I really became a different player. I was able to turn it on and he really helped me with that. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be the player I am today.”

Ferrebus speaks for many Katy student athletes that grew under McPherson. During his time as a high school head coach, McPherson accumulated 891 wins while coaching at Canyon, Levelland, Johnson City and Katy. He also had stops as an assistant at Texas Tech and Hardin Simmons.

“He was the winningest active coach in the state of Texas,” Ferrebus said. “He’s just a great coach, not just with winning but with developing us too. He knows how to get us ready for the next level since he coached at (Texas) Tech. You just couldn’t ask for anyone better to lead you.”

With McPherson’s retirement, Katy assistant coach Wes Hearne will take the reigns as head coach. But while McPherson may not be there to lead the team every day, he knows that the school and the program will always be a part of him.

“He’ll get a lot out of this bunch next year,” McPherson said. They’re a great bunch and I can’t wait to come back and watch them. It will be different, but I can’t wait.”