Carroll Dawson: A Baylor Legend & Rockets Man

Carroll Dawson, B.S. ’60, is often on the sidelines at the Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion cheering on Baylor’s basketball teams that he has supported as a player, coach and fan. A current resident of Houston alongside his wife Sharon, Dawson also is a celebrated figure in the NBA.

Dawson left an indelible mark on the sport at Baylor as a 6-foot-5 center for the Baylor Bears, earning All-Southwest Conference honors in 1960 with an impressive average of 16.4 points per game. Dawson’s connection to Baylor continued beyond his playing days as he returned to his alma mater in 1963 as an assistant coach under Bill Menefee. A decade later, Dawson took on the challenge of becoming the head coach of Baylor Basketball, leading the Bears to 42 victories over a four-year tenure. This period laid the foundations for what would become an unquestioningly remarkable career in professional basketball, especially his 27-year-long tenure as a coach and general manager with the Houston Rockets. 

His enduring legacy reaches from the rafters of the Toyota Center, where his initials ‘CD’ are proudly hung, all the way back to Waco where the Carroll Dawson sideline club lounge in the Pavilion also bears his name.