Born in Houston, Means attended Jack Yates High School in Houston where he acquired all-state honors as a competitive swimmer under the Prairie View Interscholastic League and attended college at Southern University under a swimming scholarship. Means began his career in the early '60s as a water safety instructor and started an AAU competitive swim program through the South Central YMCA. He coached numerous all-Americans and one of the top teams in the NAIA for over 25 years at Texas Southern University in Houston. He has worked with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department as an area supervisor for their swimming pools and has worked diligently instituting strength training and fitness for inner city youth. Means was recognized for his work with the American Red Cross since 1959. He presently serves as director and head coach of Harris County Aquatics Program (HCAP). The program initiated in 1992 now serves well over 2,000 participants. HCAP has produced nationally ranked swimmers and participants in Olympic trials. Many of his swimmers have earned college scholarships in both academics and swimming. Coach Means and his wife Lynn have been married 52 years and have two children, Shelly and Troy, and four grandchildren