WOS1
07-24-2004, 10:29 PM
WEST ORANGE -- With the recent additions of Cornel Thompson and Mark Foreman to his West Orange-Stark coaching staff, Dan Hooks now boasts easily one of the most experienced crews in the state.
Headed by the 65-year-old Hooks, who is beginning his 24th season as the boss Mustang, his 28th at the school and his 42nd in the business, the Mustangs' varsity staff alone has more than 200 combined years of football-coaching experience.
Other graybeards who will stalk the WO-S sidelines this year include Thompson (beginning his 34th season), offensive coordinator Randy Crouch (his 30th), Foreman (also 30th) and defensive coordinator Joe Foster (his 28th).
In addition to Hooks, who has guided the Mustangs to two state championships and two state runner-up finishes, Foreman, Crouch and Thompson have a combined nine years of head-coaching experience.
Suffice it to say the Mustangs, who are ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A by Texas Football Magazine going into the 2004 season, are not lacking quality leadership.
While Thompson and Foreman may have needed introductions to some of the current Mustangs, they didn't need an introduction to the WO-S system. Along with Hooks, they were members of Steve McCarty's first staff when the school was created in 1977 from the merger of West Orange and Stark high schools.
"I never thought in my fondest dreams that I would be able to get these two guys back," said Hooks of Thompson, who will serve as assistant head coach and linebackers coach, and Foreman, who will supervise the secondary. "I sure am glad it happened, though.
"A lot of times head coaches are a little skeptical to hire coaches who also have head-coaching experience because they may have tendencies to do things their way. With Cornel and Mark, their way is my way. They came up through this system; they've been valuable assets to this system, and they believe in this system."
Neither Thompson nor Foreman strayed far or long from the home corral.
"I was three years old when my family moved from DeRidder (La.) to Orange, and I was gone for three years," said the 56-year-old Thompson, who spent the 2001 season as head coach at Palestine and the past two seasons as Foreman's defensive coordinator at Huntsville. "I was thinking about retiring, but when this opportunity came up, I couldn't turn my back on it.
"When the fall rolls around, I have that fire in my belly -- I want to coach football. To me, it's a big thrill to be back here. This is where football is important. I love being involved in the football tradition here, and I love this community and this school."
In addition to his two years as Huntsville's head coach, the 52-year-old Foreman spent an earlier two-year stint as head coach at Orangefield, two years as defensive coordinator at Waxahachie and one year as defensive coordinator at Huntsville.
"I'm grateful to Dan for giving me this opportunity to come back home and, most of all, to be able to coach alongside my son (26-year-old Toby Foreman is the Mustangs' quarterback coach)," said the elder Foreman, who began his association with Hooks when they were both on the Lamar University football staff in the mid-1970s. "I honestly believe this will be the last place I'll coach, and that's because it's the best place to coach. It's a blessing to be back.
"Dan has always told me, 'Son, I've carried you longer than your mother did.' Dan and I haven't always agreed over the years, but nine times out of 10, I would find out that he was right. Dan's not just the boss -- he's a true friend, too.
"When I was away from here, I contacted Dan many times to ask his opinion and to find out what he would do in particular situations. He has a lot of wisdom, and he was never too busy to share a little of it with me."
With the start of fall practices only a little over a week away (on Aug. 2), Hooks is eager to renew his on-the-field working relationships with Thompson and Foreman.
"From my first day here back when they put the schools (West Orange and Stark) together, I liked Cornel," said Hooks. "He was coaching the linebackers, and I had the linemen and was also defensive coordinator.
"He and I have the same philosophies and the same coaching styles. In my opinion, Cornel is as good of a defensive coach as there is in the country. He's great with the athletes; he studies the game; he has a tremendous talent for coaching football, and he's a wonderful supporter of the entire athletic program and the school as a whole.
"As for Mark, we go back to when I lived in Bridge City and him in Orangefield and we both coached at Lamar. I would go by his house early in the morning, pick him up and we would go to Beaumont, then I would bring him home at the end of the day.
"Mark's like a member of my family, but he's also a very knowledgeable football coach.
"He's a fireball type of a coach, and he knows what he's doing. He has a knack for getting the guys to play at a high level of intensity."
Headed by the 65-year-old Hooks, who is beginning his 24th season as the boss Mustang, his 28th at the school and his 42nd in the business, the Mustangs' varsity staff alone has more than 200 combined years of football-coaching experience.
Other graybeards who will stalk the WO-S sidelines this year include Thompson (beginning his 34th season), offensive coordinator Randy Crouch (his 30th), Foreman (also 30th) and defensive coordinator Joe Foster (his 28th).
In addition to Hooks, who has guided the Mustangs to two state championships and two state runner-up finishes, Foreman, Crouch and Thompson have a combined nine years of head-coaching experience.
Suffice it to say the Mustangs, who are ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A by Texas Football Magazine going into the 2004 season, are not lacking quality leadership.
While Thompson and Foreman may have needed introductions to some of the current Mustangs, they didn't need an introduction to the WO-S system. Along with Hooks, they were members of Steve McCarty's first staff when the school was created in 1977 from the merger of West Orange and Stark high schools.
"I never thought in my fondest dreams that I would be able to get these two guys back," said Hooks of Thompson, who will serve as assistant head coach and linebackers coach, and Foreman, who will supervise the secondary. "I sure am glad it happened, though.
"A lot of times head coaches are a little skeptical to hire coaches who also have head-coaching experience because they may have tendencies to do things their way. With Cornel and Mark, their way is my way. They came up through this system; they've been valuable assets to this system, and they believe in this system."
Neither Thompson nor Foreman strayed far or long from the home corral.
"I was three years old when my family moved from DeRidder (La.) to Orange, and I was gone for three years," said the 56-year-old Thompson, who spent the 2001 season as head coach at Palestine and the past two seasons as Foreman's defensive coordinator at Huntsville. "I was thinking about retiring, but when this opportunity came up, I couldn't turn my back on it.
"When the fall rolls around, I have that fire in my belly -- I want to coach football. To me, it's a big thrill to be back here. This is where football is important. I love being involved in the football tradition here, and I love this community and this school."
In addition to his two years as Huntsville's head coach, the 52-year-old Foreman spent an earlier two-year stint as head coach at Orangefield, two years as defensive coordinator at Waxahachie and one year as defensive coordinator at Huntsville.
"I'm grateful to Dan for giving me this opportunity to come back home and, most of all, to be able to coach alongside my son (26-year-old Toby Foreman is the Mustangs' quarterback coach)," said the elder Foreman, who began his association with Hooks when they were both on the Lamar University football staff in the mid-1970s. "I honestly believe this will be the last place I'll coach, and that's because it's the best place to coach. It's a blessing to be back.
"Dan has always told me, 'Son, I've carried you longer than your mother did.' Dan and I haven't always agreed over the years, but nine times out of 10, I would find out that he was right. Dan's not just the boss -- he's a true friend, too.
"When I was away from here, I contacted Dan many times to ask his opinion and to find out what he would do in particular situations. He has a lot of wisdom, and he was never too busy to share a little of it with me."
With the start of fall practices only a little over a week away (on Aug. 2), Hooks is eager to renew his on-the-field working relationships with Thompson and Foreman.
"From my first day here back when they put the schools (West Orange and Stark) together, I liked Cornel," said Hooks. "He was coaching the linebackers, and I had the linemen and was also defensive coordinator.
"He and I have the same philosophies and the same coaching styles. In my opinion, Cornel is as good of a defensive coach as there is in the country. He's great with the athletes; he studies the game; he has a tremendous talent for coaching football, and he's a wonderful supporter of the entire athletic program and the school as a whole.
"As for Mark, we go back to when I lived in Bridge City and him in Orangefield and we both coached at Lamar. I would go by his house early in the morning, pick him up and we would go to Beaumont, then I would bring him home at the end of the day.
"Mark's like a member of my family, but he's also a very knowledgeable football coach.
"He's a fireball type of a coach, and he knows what he's doing. He has a knack for getting the guys to play at a high level of intensity."