I would like to compliment Greg Wille of the Temple Daily Telegram on his article in todays Temple Daily Telegram. I thought it was spot on.
Commentary: Temple needs to get coach/AD hire right this time; Wildcats, fans deserve best man for job
by Greg Wille
Published: December 1, 2010
Temple needs to get it right this time.
Hiring anything less than the best head football coach and athletic director that Temple ISD's superintendent, Dr. Robin Battershell, and the school district can find is not acceptable, nor should it be.
Bringing in the best man for this job is what the people and fans of Temple, the parents of its student-athletes and, probably most important, today's Wildcats and those who will become Wildcats deserve.
For various reasons, some of which Temple could control and others it couldn't, the Wildcats' last three football coaches - David Beal, Tam Hollingshead and Bryce Monsen - did not work out. They had a combined record of 37-77 with three playoff berths and one postseason win.
In 2000, after Bob McQueen retired following his legendary 28-season, 243-win, two-state-championship career as the top Wildcat, Temple settled for less than the best head coach it could get when it hired Beal.
Beal was McQueen's offensive coordinator when 15-1 Temple won the Class 5A Division II state championship in 1992, and even after being gone for six years he was familiar with the Wildcats and Temple was familiar with him.
But Beal's record at Brenham (2-8 in 1994) and then Spring Westfield (16-34 from 1995-99) was poor - 18-42 with no playoff berths. And when more established head coaches pulled out of consideration, Temple basically was left with no choice but to hire Beal, who had gone 0-10 in 1999.
Three years and an 8-22 record later (3-7 was Beal's best season), Temple was searching for another head coach/AD.
In 2003 Temple made more of a splash when it brought in Hollingshead, the Texas A&M assistant who guided Odessa Permian to the 5A Division II state championship in 1991.
Intense and authoritative, the white-haired Hollingshead and his hand-picked staff produced instant success. His Wildcats won their first four games, contended for a district crown, outdueled Round Rock McNeil for Temple's first playoff victory since 1997 and led No. 1-ranked The Woodlands, an eventual state finalist, by 13 points in the second half of a Division I Region II semifinal before losing 28-20. That 8-4 season remains Temple's most wins since 1996.
However, Hollingshead and Temple couldn't duplicate their magic in 2004. His plan to use several two-way starters failed to create the desired results, and the worn-down Wildcats skidded to a 2-8 record.
Before anyone had much time to digest that disappointment, Temple was in Hollingshead's rear-view mirror. He accepted an offer in January 2005 to build the football and overall athletic programs at the new Metroplex high school Rockwall-Heath, calling the opportunity "very attractive."
Suddenly, Temple had to conduct its third coaching search since McQueen's retirement.
In 2000, Temple essentially botched the hiring process by splitting its head football coach and athletic director duties. That undoubtedly scared off some excellent candidates, and Temple was left with Beal, who had not distinguished himself as a head coach and went on to reinforce that reputation.
It was a different story in 2003. Temple got its man in Hollingshead, who might have been the very best coach available. The district had every reason to think he'd be the Wildcats' coach for many years, and maybe he did, too. But when he abruptly departed, all that was clear was that Temple's choice did not end up working out for the second consecutive time.
In hindsight, where Temple failed in 2005 was that it made an emotional, reactionary hire rather than getting the very best football coach it could find.
There was a feeling that Temple had been burned and spurned by an outsider when Hollingshead bolted after only two years. So what did Temple do? It hired a "Temple guy" in the affable Monsen.
He had been a winning high school head coach in Utah and was directed to McQueen and Temple by his legendary coach at Brigham Young, LaVell Edwards. Monsen joined the Wildcat staff in 1995 and coached under McQueen and then Beal through 2002 before taking the top job at 4A Lockhart.
After Hollingshead left, it didn't seem to concern Temple that Monsen's only experience as a Texas head coach was an 8-13 record with an 0-1 playoff mark. Temple wanted a "Temple guy," and Monsen beat out every candidate with a superior résumé to receive what he called his dream job.
It's unlikely that anyone has ever promoted the pride and values of being a Wildcat more fervently than the stocky, bespectacled Monsen. Without any urging, he'll praise Temple's kids, fans, coaches, traditions and those blue-front, white-back pants during a single interview. No one can doubt Monsen loves Temple and loved being the Wildcats' leader the last six seasons.
But after he compiled a 19-43 record with two playoff trips and zero postseason wins (still hard to believe considering unique talents Lache Seastrunk and Derrick Davis were together for three years), it became obvious that Temple needed to move in a different direction - yet again.
When the Wildcats hit the field in 2011, it will be with their fourth coach in 12 years after McQueen commanded the sideline for 28 seasons.
So, who will that man be?
It needs to be a man who has achieved tangible, consistent success - winning seasons, district championships, playoff runs - as a Texas high school head coach. Employing that criterion would have stopped Temple from hiring Beal and Monsen, who are 53-120 with no playoff wins in a combined 17 seasons as Texas head coaches.
Remember this: When Temple hired a 33-year-old McQueen (by a 4-3 vote) in 1972, the former Wildcat player already had produced a 34-8-2 record with three district titles as Mexia's head coach and then served three years as a Southern Methodist assistant. Hollingshead was 43-4-2 with a state title in four seasons at Permian before a long stint as an A&M assistant.
Temple's selection should be someone who's been in the coaching profession long enough to know what it's all about but who also has enough coaching left in him to lead the Wildcats for the next 10 seasons and preferably more.
The next head coach should command everybody's attention and respect when he walks into a room, addresses his players in the fieldhouse and runs the show on the sideline.
As athletic director, he should possess the necessary confidence, analytical ability and interpersonal skills to assess Temple's entire athletic program, get the most out of each sport's coaches and athletes, and change coaching personnel if he believes that's the right thing to do.
He should be ready, willing and able to get deeply involved with the coaches and athletes at Temple's three middle schools to promote hard work, teamwork and the attitude that the Wildcats can recapture the success and prominence that have been eroded by these last 11 mostly fruitless seasons.
Battershell - who, it should be noted, didn't hire Beal, Hollingshead or Monsen - spoke Nov. 9 about Temple's tightening budget being a concern in the hiring process. That might be the case, but the district needs to step up and pay what it's going to cost to attract a man who offers the aforementioned blend of a winning track record and outstanding personality traits.
Formerly packed, vibrant and intimidating, Wildcat Stadium has become a half-full (and that might be generous sometimes) shell of its past self as the losing seasons have mounted.
But the right coach will win football games, Wildcat fans will be excited again and the empty seats will be filled again. That means more game programs, Frito pies, popcorn, hot dogs and sodas will be sold. From that standpoint alone, the right coach will be worth every penny he's paid.
It's much more important for Temple to get the right coach if that requires paying $90,000-$95,000 per year instead of settling for less than the best coach just because he'll accept $80,000-$85,000.
Battershell said Temple will not target specific individuals in its latest search - at least not officially, perhaps allowing for the possibility that some people will contact coaches on the district's behalf to gauge potential interest in the job.
It would be a mistake for Temple to fail to identify and pursue at least a few highly successful coaches who might have a genuine interest in taking over the Wildcats if an attractive offer were to be made.
To present one well-known name, Bob Shipley might not be actively looking to leave 3A No. 1-ranked Brownwood, where the former Temple assistant and ex-Burnet and Coppell boss is in his second year. But he'll have another son playing receiver at Texas beginning next fall, and Temple should do everything in its power to determine whether coaching a tradition-rich 5A program intrigues him.
I think it might, and Temple must seek him out - along with other top-level candidates - to find out.
Some observers initially were displeased when Battershell said Temple would wait until January to take applications and likely wouldn't make its final selection until March.
Now the process has been expedited somewhat, with Temple planning to conduct a series of open forums, post the job opening Dec. 17-Jan. 7, complete interviews by Feb. 11 and present a lone finalist for school board approval Feb. 14 - while reserving the right to wait until March if needed.
It's not the fastest timetable, but it's much better for Temple to hire the best available coach in March instead of rushing the process and settling for the wrong man in January or February.
Only one thing really matters: Temple needs to get it right this time.
gwille@tdtnews.com
Commentary: Temple needs to get coach/AD hire right this time; Wildcats, fans deserve best man for job
by Greg Wille
Published: December 1, 2010
Temple needs to get it right this time.
Hiring anything less than the best head football coach and athletic director that Temple ISD's superintendent, Dr. Robin Battershell, and the school district can find is not acceptable, nor should it be.
Bringing in the best man for this job is what the people and fans of Temple, the parents of its student-athletes and, probably most important, today's Wildcats and those who will become Wildcats deserve.
For various reasons, some of which Temple could control and others it couldn't, the Wildcats' last three football coaches - David Beal, Tam Hollingshead and Bryce Monsen - did not work out. They had a combined record of 37-77 with three playoff berths and one postseason win.
In 2000, after Bob McQueen retired following his legendary 28-season, 243-win, two-state-championship career as the top Wildcat, Temple settled for less than the best head coach it could get when it hired Beal.
Beal was McQueen's offensive coordinator when 15-1 Temple won the Class 5A Division II state championship in 1992, and even after being gone for six years he was familiar with the Wildcats and Temple was familiar with him.
But Beal's record at Brenham (2-8 in 1994) and then Spring Westfield (16-34 from 1995-99) was poor - 18-42 with no playoff berths. And when more established head coaches pulled out of consideration, Temple basically was left with no choice but to hire Beal, who had gone 0-10 in 1999.
Three years and an 8-22 record later (3-7 was Beal's best season), Temple was searching for another head coach/AD.
In 2003 Temple made more of a splash when it brought in Hollingshead, the Texas A&M assistant who guided Odessa Permian to the 5A Division II state championship in 1991.
Intense and authoritative, the white-haired Hollingshead and his hand-picked staff produced instant success. His Wildcats won their first four games, contended for a district crown, outdueled Round Rock McNeil for Temple's first playoff victory since 1997 and led No. 1-ranked The Woodlands, an eventual state finalist, by 13 points in the second half of a Division I Region II semifinal before losing 28-20. That 8-4 season remains Temple's most wins since 1996.
However, Hollingshead and Temple couldn't duplicate their magic in 2004. His plan to use several two-way starters failed to create the desired results, and the worn-down Wildcats skidded to a 2-8 record.
Before anyone had much time to digest that disappointment, Temple was in Hollingshead's rear-view mirror. He accepted an offer in January 2005 to build the football and overall athletic programs at the new Metroplex high school Rockwall-Heath, calling the opportunity "very attractive."
Suddenly, Temple had to conduct its third coaching search since McQueen's retirement.
In 2000, Temple essentially botched the hiring process by splitting its head football coach and athletic director duties. That undoubtedly scared off some excellent candidates, and Temple was left with Beal, who had not distinguished himself as a head coach and went on to reinforce that reputation.
It was a different story in 2003. Temple got its man in Hollingshead, who might have been the very best coach available. The district had every reason to think he'd be the Wildcats' coach for many years, and maybe he did, too. But when he abruptly departed, all that was clear was that Temple's choice did not end up working out for the second consecutive time.
In hindsight, where Temple failed in 2005 was that it made an emotional, reactionary hire rather than getting the very best football coach it could find.
There was a feeling that Temple had been burned and spurned by an outsider when Hollingshead bolted after only two years. So what did Temple do? It hired a "Temple guy" in the affable Monsen.
He had been a winning high school head coach in Utah and was directed to McQueen and Temple by his legendary coach at Brigham Young, LaVell Edwards. Monsen joined the Wildcat staff in 1995 and coached under McQueen and then Beal through 2002 before taking the top job at 4A Lockhart.
After Hollingshead left, it didn't seem to concern Temple that Monsen's only experience as a Texas head coach was an 8-13 record with an 0-1 playoff mark. Temple wanted a "Temple guy," and Monsen beat out every candidate with a superior résumé to receive what he called his dream job.
It's unlikely that anyone has ever promoted the pride and values of being a Wildcat more fervently than the stocky, bespectacled Monsen. Without any urging, he'll praise Temple's kids, fans, coaches, traditions and those blue-front, white-back pants during a single interview. No one can doubt Monsen loves Temple and loved being the Wildcats' leader the last six seasons.
But after he compiled a 19-43 record with two playoff trips and zero postseason wins (still hard to believe considering unique talents Lache Seastrunk and Derrick Davis were together for three years), it became obvious that Temple needed to move in a different direction - yet again.
When the Wildcats hit the field in 2011, it will be with their fourth coach in 12 years after McQueen commanded the sideline for 28 seasons.
So, who will that man be?
It needs to be a man who has achieved tangible, consistent success - winning seasons, district championships, playoff runs - as a Texas high school head coach. Employing that criterion would have stopped Temple from hiring Beal and Monsen, who are 53-120 with no playoff wins in a combined 17 seasons as Texas head coaches.
Remember this: When Temple hired a 33-year-old McQueen (by a 4-3 vote) in 1972, the former Wildcat player already had produced a 34-8-2 record with three district titles as Mexia's head coach and then served three years as a Southern Methodist assistant. Hollingshead was 43-4-2 with a state title in four seasons at Permian before a long stint as an A&M assistant.
Temple's selection should be someone who's been in the coaching profession long enough to know what it's all about but who also has enough coaching left in him to lead the Wildcats for the next 10 seasons and preferably more.
The next head coach should command everybody's attention and respect when he walks into a room, addresses his players in the fieldhouse and runs the show on the sideline.
As athletic director, he should possess the necessary confidence, analytical ability and interpersonal skills to assess Temple's entire athletic program, get the most out of each sport's coaches and athletes, and change coaching personnel if he believes that's the right thing to do.
He should be ready, willing and able to get deeply involved with the coaches and athletes at Temple's three middle schools to promote hard work, teamwork and the attitude that the Wildcats can recapture the success and prominence that have been eroded by these last 11 mostly fruitless seasons.
Battershell - who, it should be noted, didn't hire Beal, Hollingshead or Monsen - spoke Nov. 9 about Temple's tightening budget being a concern in the hiring process. That might be the case, but the district needs to step up and pay what it's going to cost to attract a man who offers the aforementioned blend of a winning track record and outstanding personality traits.
Formerly packed, vibrant and intimidating, Wildcat Stadium has become a half-full (and that might be generous sometimes) shell of its past self as the losing seasons have mounted.
But the right coach will win football games, Wildcat fans will be excited again and the empty seats will be filled again. That means more game programs, Frito pies, popcorn, hot dogs and sodas will be sold. From that standpoint alone, the right coach will be worth every penny he's paid.
It's much more important for Temple to get the right coach if that requires paying $90,000-$95,000 per year instead of settling for less than the best coach just because he'll accept $80,000-$85,000.
Battershell said Temple will not target specific individuals in its latest search - at least not officially, perhaps allowing for the possibility that some people will contact coaches on the district's behalf to gauge potential interest in the job.
It would be a mistake for Temple to fail to identify and pursue at least a few highly successful coaches who might have a genuine interest in taking over the Wildcats if an attractive offer were to be made.
To present one well-known name, Bob Shipley might not be actively looking to leave 3A No. 1-ranked Brownwood, where the former Temple assistant and ex-Burnet and Coppell boss is in his second year. But he'll have another son playing receiver at Texas beginning next fall, and Temple should do everything in its power to determine whether coaching a tradition-rich 5A program intrigues him.
I think it might, and Temple must seek him out - along with other top-level candidates - to find out.
Some observers initially were displeased when Battershell said Temple would wait until January to take applications and likely wouldn't make its final selection until March.
Now the process has been expedited somewhat, with Temple planning to conduct a series of open forums, post the job opening Dec. 17-Jan. 7, complete interviews by Feb. 11 and present a lone finalist for school board approval Feb. 14 - while reserving the right to wait until March if needed.
It's not the fastest timetable, but it's much better for Temple to hire the best available coach in March instead of rushing the process and settling for the wrong man in January or February.
Only one thing really matters: Temple needs to get it right this time.
gwille@tdtnews.com
