Melvin Cecil Gibbs

Melvin Cecil Gibbs, 80, passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

Funeral services will be held at 2 pm on Friday, February 20, 2026, in the Minton Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in Highland Park Cemetery under the direction of Minton Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger. The family will receive guests beginning at noon prior to the service on Friday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers his memory may be honored with a gift to the Razorback Foundation.

Melvin was born June 11, 1945, in Borger to Marion Cecil Gibbs and Reba Earl Scott Gibbs. A proud graduate of Borger High School in 1963, he was a standout football player and leader, serving as team captain his senior year and earning All-State honors. He was featured on the cover of Texas Coach magazine and received national recruiting attention as a “blue-chip” prospect before choosing to attend the University of Arkansas.

Melvin was a member of the 1964 Arkansas Razorback National Championship Team, playing center. He served as team captain and received All-Southwest Conference and Honorable Mention All-American recognition in 1966. He graduated from the University of Arkansas with a B.S.E. degree in Spring 1968. Committed to education, he later earned his Master of Education degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma, in 1977. Along with the national championship football team, he was honored to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

He married the love of his life, Kathryn Elizabeth “Kathy” Ivey on March 25, 1967, in Fayetteville, Arkansas and together they raised three children. Melvin devoted his life to coaching and mentoring, shaping thousands of student-athletes as a Texas high school football coach. His career included stops with the Harlandale Indians, Calhoun Sandcrabs, Brazosport Exporters, Garrison Bulldogs, La Vega Pirates, Tatum Eagles, and Burleson Elks. His teams won many district titles and made multiple playoff runs during his years on the sidelines. He was recognized with numerous honors, including East Texas “Coach of the Year” (1978) and District “Coach of the Year” recognitions. Nothing brought more joy to his life than his family and football. To his grandchildren, he enjoyed being known as “Pop”, a title worn with pride and affection. Even as the years asked more of him, his sense of humor, presence and the values he lived by stayed constant.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Marion and Reba Gibbs; wife, Kathy Gibbs; sisters Wanda Melvin, Annette Brooks, Sandra Joslin and brother Ken “Butch” Gibbs.

Survivors include his daughters, Sharon Dimicelli of Sugar Land, Rachael Anderson of Brookshire, son, Les Gibbs and wife Robin of Haymarket, Virginia; nine grandchildren, Kalee Anderson and husband Kit Leonard, Nick and wife Marissa Anderson, Emma Dimicelli, Sammy Dimicelli, Tyler Gibbs, Lucas Gibbs, Katelyn Gibbs, Jake Earp and Charleigh Earp; Brothers, Don Gibbs and wife Reda of Fritch, Jerry “Dinky” Gibbs and wife Brenda of Red Oak; numerous nieces and nephews; and a host of extended family.

He believed the scoreboard mattered, but character mattered more. He poured that belief into his family and into generations of players who learned from him. He will be deeply missed and long remembered.