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Former Smith Center HS Football Coach Roger Barta, 79, Passes Away Leaving Behind His Wife Pam Weir Barta, And Three Children

By Eleanor Gray

Former Smith Center HS Football Coach Roger Barta, 79, Passes Away Leaving Behind His Wife Pam Weir Barta, And Three Children

Kansas Hall of Fame inductee Roger Barta and Pam Weir Barta tied the knot on August 18, 1967.

June 18, 2026

This article was last updated by Manoj Gadtaula on June 18, 2026

Roger Barta’s wife, Pam Weir Barta, graduated from Plainville High School in 1947.

Legendary Kansas High School Football coach and Kansas Hall of Fame inductee Roger Barta passed away on Monday, June 16, 2026, at 79, as reported by Kansas Pregame.

However, the cause of death has not been revealed yet.

Sports in Kansas took to their official Facebook handle and mourned the death of Roger. They wrote,

“Someone here is the best football player on the team, and someone is the worst,” Barta once said. “It’s time to forget about that. Let’s respect each other. When we respect each other, we’ll like each other. When we like each other, we’ll love each other. That’s when, together, we’ll become champions.” “One more thing, guys. We don’t talk about winning and losing. We talk about getting a little better every day, about being the best we can be, about being a team. And when we do that, winning and losing take care of themselves.”

Eric Storm Viccaro, a graduate of the University of Arkansas, also took to his Facebook handle and offered his heartfelt by stating,

REST IN POWER: Roger Barta, Smith Center (Kan.) football coach. Barta will go down as one of my favorite interviews, and I was blessed to cover the Redmen when they defeated St. Mary’s-Colgan, 36-14, for the Class 2-1A state championship on a windy afternoon in Hays, circa 2004.

Barta won eight state football championships as the head coach of Smith Center High School and holds multiple state records, including consecutive wins, consecutive playoff wins, and most undefeated seasons.

He also holds the record for career coaching win percentage, winning 82.6% of the games he coached.

Barta will always be remembered for his unforgettable contributions as a head coach. His family will soon announce the funeral service schedule.

Rest in Heaven, Roger Barta.

Roger Barta And His Wife Pam Weir Barta’s Married Life Ended After 57 Years

Kansas Hall of Fame inductee Roger Barta and Pam Weir Barta tied the knot on August 18, 1967.

On August 18, 2017, Pam took to her official handle and posted a wedding photo of her and Roger on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.

In the comment section, close ones and relatives wished them. One user wrote,

Happy Anniversary to both of you!

Another user wrote,

Happy Anniversary 50 th. WOW!! That’s great Congrats

Sadly, their married life ended after 57 years following the tragic death of Roger.

Although Pam has stayed out of the media spotlight, she has always supported Roger in balancing his personal and professional life.

Author Joe Drape wrote about Roger and Pam’s treks on page 186 of the best-selling book “Our Boys,” the story of the 2008 Smith Center football team, which was published in 2009.

Pam and Roger have made sacrifices to stay connected with their children’s pursuits.

In the 1990s, they regularly drove through the night after Smith Center games to catch their kids’ performances at Kansas State.

Roger Barta Shared Three Children With His Wife, Pam Weir Barta

Legendary Kansas High School football coach Roger Barta and his wife Pam Weir Barta had one son, Brooks, and two daughters, Shelby and Carrie Barta.

Brooks is a at Kansas State University and played under legendary College Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Snyder.

Later, he turned to coaching and built a powerhouse program at Holton High School in Kansas. According to his , he tied the knot with Tonya Barta and shares a son named Mason Barta.

On May 23, 2026, Mason married a Kansas State University graduate, Rebekah Barta.

Currently, Brooks is mourning the tragic death of his supportive and devoted father, Roger Barta.

Roger’s daughter, Shelby, recently took to her Facebook handle to the death of her father. She wrote,

Dad, you left a ripple effect that will go on and on. Grateful.

Roger’s second daughter, Carrie Beims Barta, resides in Wichita, Kansas, and attended Smith Center Senior High School. Later, she graduated from Kansas State University.

She also took to her Facebook and the loss of her father, Roger, by stating,

As many of you may know, my dad passed away yesterday. He was deeply loved—and he loved even greater. He is already so greatly missed. I’m forever grateful for the time we had and for the legacy he leaves behind. To all of you, THANK YOU for the incredible outpouring of love and support. Your messages and memories mean the world to our family. Goodbyes are hard—but they’re not forever.

In Case You Didn’t Know

  • Roger Bata was born in Ellsworth on July 11, 1945, but grew up in Plainville, where he graduated from Plainville High School in 1963. Later, he received a degree in Mathematics in 1967 from Fort Hays State and earned his Master’s Degree from the University of Georgia in 1971.
  • Smith Center hired Barta in 1978, making a statement early in his tenure, as the team went on to win the State Championship game in his second year and secure his first title in his fifth year.
  • As per the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, Barta worked under a “wish-bone” style of offense, which focused on running the ball with many options on who could take the ball in contrast to passing.
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Rohit Maharjan is a skilled content writer and editor, known for his expertise in crafting engaging and informative written pieces. Beyond his professional work, Rohit is also a passionate musician, dedicating his free time to playing the guitar and creating melodious tunes.

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