Whence Came The ‘Bus Driver’?

By Hillry Ranson ’60

Bill Whitney ’60 and I headed for G. Rollie for the second basketball game of the ’58 – ’59 season. The University of Houston—not yet a Southwest Conference member—came to the campus with their new coach, Guy Lewis.

He was a tall, slender, well-groomed and enthusiastic leader on the sideline.

As the game progressed it became evident in the second half that the Aggies were going to win, so I yelled across the court in the direction of Coach Lewis that he “go warm up the bus.” He couldn’t hear me but the statement was only for the Ags within hearing distance anyway. For all of us who grew up in small towns (Levelland) it was the norm for the coach to also be the bus driver. Thus, we all understood the implication: “may as well go ahead and warm up the bus, Coach, this game is over.” We made a few more remarks among us in regard to the Bus Driver before the game ended. When it was over we forgot about it. That is until the ’59 – ’60 season came around.

Bill and I had not missed a home basketball game since we were Fish in ’56, so we trekked over to welcome the University of Houston into town again. And lo and behold, there was the Bus Driver, as
well-groomed and lively as ever. During the course of the game the officials gave the coaches of both teams several opportunities to stand and protest calls.

In the midst of one of those “uprisings” in the contest I yelled at Coach Lewis, “sit down, bus driver!” Again, he couldn’t hear me with all the other noise in the gym. But deeper into the game Bill and some other students began to join me until we had a pretty good chorus that would greet the coach every
time he stood to question calls, or even encourage his players. There was no intent of maliciousness or disrespect for Coach Lewis, we were just having some fun among ourselves. For the rest of the season all the opposing coaches that came to town were given their new handle of “Bus Driver” along with our
encouragement to keep them in their seats.

After my senior year I spent four years in dental school and my two-year stint with Uncle Sam’s Army.  I had been away from campus for a number of years and living in McAllen when I tuned in to a televised game from G. Rollie. And what did I hear but an organized yell imploring the Bus Driver to “sit down.”
What a surprise! When did that yell become an official Aggie tradition? I have no idea.

Guy Lewis went on to become somewhat of a national legend in college basketball. I’m sure that legend will long outlast the contribution he made to Aggie lore.