Wade Houston

Wade Houston (born October 9, 1944) is a former basketball player and coach who is currently President of Dry Ice Blasting Technologies, a division of Houston-Johnson, Inc. In 1962, Wade became the first African American to sign a basketball scholarship at the University of Louisville, where he earned his Bachelor's and master's degrees. In 1970–71, Wade played and coached professional basketball in France, after which he became an assistant coach at the University of Louisville, then head coach at the University of Tennessee.

Aside from his business interest, Wade has always been active in the community. He is the founder of the Black Coaches and co-founder of the African American Business Alliance. He serves on the following boards: Old National Bank, The Rawlings Group, the University of Louisville Athletic Board, and the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Along with Junior Bridgeman, he founded the Houston-Bridgeman scholarship program at the University of Louisville. Wade also serves on the board of the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation, which was founded to foster healthy and productive relationships between fathers and sons, and mentors and mentees. He hosts an annual charity golf classic in Alcoa, TN to raise funds to benefit area high school seniors to pursue a college education. He also served as co-chair of Governor Steve Beshear's inauguration committee, and holds an honorary Doctorate degree from Spalding University.

Wade was profiled in Passing the Torch, a compilation of stories and experiences of Louisville, Kentucky business leaders. He is married to Alice Kean Houston, and they have three adult Children: Allan, Lynn, and Natalie.

Athletics

Wade is an American former college basketball player and coach.He was an assistant coach under Denny Crum at the University of Louisville for 13 years until 1989 when he was named the head coach of the University of Tennessee.In accepting the job at Tennessee, he became the first African-American head coach at the SEC University. Nolan Richardson was the first African American coach in the Southeastern Conference.

His son, Allan Houston played for him at Tennessee and later went on to the National Basketball Association for the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks.

Houston is now a businessman in Louisville, Kentucky, owning and operating a trucking and transportation business.

College