The DFW Sports Magazine (StarTelegram
) has published their annual football review.New this year was a top 10 list for area coaches, placing Kennedale Head Coach Richard Barrett in 6th place on their list of ?Best Coaches.? {{more}}
The following is the list. The Kennedale News added some accolades, listed in bullets, not mentioned in the DFW article.
1. Steve Lineweaver, Euless Trinity: After leading Commerce to three title-game appearances and one state championship, Lineweaver came to Trinity. In his 14 seasons there, the Trojans have played for four state titles and won three. Lineweaver has won at least 10 games in 10 consecutive seasons and in 16 of his 21 years as a coach. Only once ? his first year as head coach ? has one of his teams won fewer than eight games.
2. Bob Wager, Arlington Martin: Dazzled by Texas football after reading the bestseller Friday Night Lights, a 22-year-old football coach from upstate New York headed south in 1992. After stops at Carter Jr. High in Arlington and Arlington Sam Houston, he landed head coaching jobs in Tolar, Groveton and Kaufman before Martin in 2006. The Warriors haven?t missed the playoffs since Wager arrived. His career record is 124-72.
3. Jim Skinner, Birdville: Skinner, who has been a head coach for more than 30 years, is eight wins from 300 for his career. Skinner, entering his 12th season at Birdville, is 292-141-3 overall and 95-32 with the Hawks, who have won 79 percent of their games over the past eight years.
4. Hal Wasson, Southlake Carroll: Wasson first became a head coach at Italy in the 1980s and also coached four seasons at Fossil Ridge before taking over the Dragons. Carroll has reached double-digit victories in six of his seven seasons and won state in 2011.
5. Dale Keeling, Everman: Keeling had coached at Spur, Muleshoe, New Deal and Irion County before moving to Everman in 1998. After a 3-7 season that year, the Bulldogs haven?t missed the playoffs under Keeling since, and they won back-to-back state championships in 2001-02.
6. Richard Barrett, Kennedale: The Wildcats have become a perennial playoff team under Barrett, qualifying for the postseason in all 13 of his seasons as head coach. (The following information was added by the Kennedale News and was not part of the original article)
- Barrett has coached 19 years with an overall record of 154-66-1.
- He is 37th in career wins among active coaches in Texas.
- Barrett started as head coach in Godley, coaching for 6 years with a record of 36-27-1 before moving to Kennedale.
- Under his leadership, the Wildcats have a record of 118-39-0 with a playoff record of 16-7-0.
- Barrett has never had a losing season at Kennedale and only one at Godley.
- He is the longest serving head coach for Kennedale.
- In his 13 years at Kennedale, the Wildcats have been district champs or runner-ups in 12 of those 13 years.
- Kennedale started playing football in 1958 with an overall 294-307-12 record and a 20-20-0 playoff record.
7. Joe Prud?homme, Nolan Catholic: Prud?homme took over Nolan?s program in 1991 and the Vikings have missed the playoffs only once under his direction. Prud?homme has coached Nolan to seven state championships, all in the past 10 years.
8. Todd Rodgers, Argyle: Rodgers took over the Eagles in 2003, their second season of existence. They went 5-5 that year and since have won 81 percent of their games. Under Rodgers, Argyle has won at least 10 games eight times and won their first state championship last year.
9. Joseph Gillespie, Stephenville: Gillespie stepped into a pressure-cooker with his first head coaching job. Gillespie, a longtime assistant with the Yellow Jackets, was promoted to head coach in 2008. In his six seasons at the helm, Stephenville is 63-19 and has advanced at least four rounds deep in the playoffs five times. The Yellow Jackets won state in 2012. It was Gillespie?s first title and the program?s fifth.
10. Darren Allman, Colleyville Heritage: Allman enters his first season in the Metroplex, but he has served as head coach at two of the state?s higher-profile programs in Odessa Permian and Austin Westlake. Allman was 83-32 over nine seasons at those schools and has coached his teams to the postseason in the past eight years. ? David Thomas
For a comprehensive look at coaching records in the state, visit the records compiled by Texas high school football historian Joe Lee Smith at texashighschoolfootballhistory.com .
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