Official – Basketball
Sports has always captured Don Byars’ interest and attention. Born in Louisville, Ky., Don’s mother, Edna Porter Byars, moved him and his two brothers, William (“Snake”) and Jack, and two sisters, Eurslyn and Katie, to her hometown of Millersburg, Ky., while he was young. Growing up in a small rural community did not afford Don the opportunity to participate in any formal sports programs until he reached Bourbon County High School. There he excelled in basketball, football, and track, and was selected The Best All Around Athlete in 1966. He earned a full athletic scholarship to Morehead State University where he played basketball and ran track. In 1970, Don received a Bachelor of Arts degree from MSU. He also earned a Master of Arts degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1975 and pursued doctoral courses at the University of Kentucky.
Don was a basketball official for more than 30 years, starting at the Junior Pro level and in local community programs commencing in 1972. He officiated in the highly-acclaimed Lexington Dirt Bowl after playing in the league for several years. Don officiated in both Boys and Girls Kentucky High School Basketball competitions at the district, regional, and state level from 1972 until 1986. The highlight of this experience was his selection to officiate in both the Boys (1980, 1982, 1986) and Girls (1984) Sweet 16 Kentucky State Basketball tournaments. His skills as an official earned him the opportunity to officiate in three collegiate conferences that spanned Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana: the Ohio Valley Conference, the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1985 to 2002.
Don started his professional experience as a teacher and coach for basketball and track at Dunbar and Beaumont Middle Schools. After teaching, Don spent 32 years in various positions in the Admissions Office at the University of Kentucky before retiring in 2004 as the Associate Director for Undergraduate Admissions. After UK, he was selected by Prairie View A&M University to serve in Enrollment Management and retired as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management in 2016.
Because he grew up in a single-parent household and so many people took the time to support and encourage him, Don has tried to pass it on by helping other young people. He served as a foster parent for the Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children. Over the years, he has been active in programs to support youth, including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the National Conference for Community and Justice, and Micro-City Government. He served as an ordained deacon at Main Street Baptist Church while in Lexington and currently is serving as deacon at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.
Don has been married for 52 years to his college sweetheart, Lauretta Flynn Byars. They are the parents of two sons, Don “Travis” W. Byars, III (deceased), and David W. Byars. He enjoys spending time with his three granddaughters, Alexandra, Jurnee, and Loren, and his one great-grandson, Cooper Travis.
