Michael “Mike” Haynes died in his sleep on Friday, November 14, 2008. He was 61. Mike was born April 5, 1947 in Augusta, Arkansas. He moved to San Antonio in 1971 where he began his coaching career at Memorial High School. Mike coached at Holmes High School and opened Taft High School where he served as Head Coach for 15 years. He had an outstanding record. Mike became Assistant Director of Athletics for Northside Independent School District in 2000 where he served until his death.

Mike was the person who introduced me to the sport of pigeon flying. We were coaching friends. He was ready to help me or anyone with their pigeons. Mike had a wealth of knowledge about the sport of flying pigeons. He was not able to fly as much as he wanted due to his job. I talked with him a week before his death and he was planning on retiring this spring and would have been able to have more time to fly his pigeons.

I will truly miss visiting with Mike at the football stadium and I was looking forward to flying with him. He was an asset to the sport of pigeon flying. You could always know that the advice he would share with you was the real deal.

Keep ‘em flying Mike!!!

Ken Pair

San Antonio, TX