Snyder_TigerFan
01-17-2006, 07:13 AM
Cooper picks a coach
Spradlin has accepted job, boss at University of Houston says
By Troy Shockley / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 17, 2006
Cooper has apparently found its man.
University of Houston head football coach Art Briles confirmed Monday that Houston assistant coach Mike Spradlin has accepted the football head coach and athletic coordinator position at Cooper High School.
Spradlin has worked as an offensive line coach at Houston since 2003.
''I've known Mike for 30 years. I've known what type of person he is, and the last few years I've gotten to know what type of coach he is,'' Briles said. ''You're getting a winner. You're getting a leader, and an energetic person that loves and cares about young people.''
The hire, which won't become official until being approved by the school board, comes after a nearly two-month search necessitated by Cooper Principal Gail Gregg's reassignment of Marty Secord in late November. Secord resigned from Cooper earlier this month to accept the head coaching position at Frisco Wakeland High School.
Secord was 9-11 in his two years with the Cougars, and the team missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Gregg wouldn't comment Monday on whether a new coach had been selected, but confirmed that a press conference will take place sometime today.
''I can't comment until I go through the proper channels here,'' Gregg said. ''I look forward to having a press conference tomorrow (Tuesday) but, until then, I can't comment.''
After Spradlin's interview with Gregg on Jan. 10, however, the principal said he was impressed with the candidate.
''He likes to go in and turn programs around,'' Gregg said. ''I think he'd be good on the football end, but also on the athletic coordinator end, too.''
Gregg has interviewed four candidates for the Cooper coaching position.
Spradlin joined the Houston coaching staff after a four-year stint at Round Rock Westwood High School, leading the 2002 team to a 7-4 record and the school's first district championship. He also coached at Midland Christian and Navasota High School, leading both teams to the playoffs - Midland Christian reaching the state semifinals in 1996.
Spradlin was first hired as a coach at Cooper in 1980, where he worked under Ray Overton as the offensive coordinator for three years. He moved on to join Overton at Irving MacArthur and worked there as both offensive coordinator and offensive line coach until 1986.
He then left coaching for nine years and worked as a district manager at Pride Refining Inc. before returning to the sideline at Midland Christian.
Briles said despite Spradlin's short stint in Houston, he isn't leaving because of an inability to coach at the collegiate level. He added that there shouldn't be any problems making the college-to-high school switch.
''He's proven himself on the collegiate level,'' Briles said. ''He's helped us to become one of the most productive offenses in the nation in the last three years, and I don't imagine he'll have any problem making that transition.
''Abilene Cooper is fixin' to be energized.''
Spradlin has accepted job, boss at University of Houston says
By Troy Shockley / Reporter-News Staff Writer
January 17, 2006
Cooper has apparently found its man.
University of Houston head football coach Art Briles confirmed Monday that Houston assistant coach Mike Spradlin has accepted the football head coach and athletic coordinator position at Cooper High School.
Spradlin has worked as an offensive line coach at Houston since 2003.
''I've known Mike for 30 years. I've known what type of person he is, and the last few years I've gotten to know what type of coach he is,'' Briles said. ''You're getting a winner. You're getting a leader, and an energetic person that loves and cares about young people.''
The hire, which won't become official until being approved by the school board, comes after a nearly two-month search necessitated by Cooper Principal Gail Gregg's reassignment of Marty Secord in late November. Secord resigned from Cooper earlier this month to accept the head coaching position at Frisco Wakeland High School.
Secord was 9-11 in his two years with the Cougars, and the team missed the playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.
Gregg wouldn't comment Monday on whether a new coach had been selected, but confirmed that a press conference will take place sometime today.
''I can't comment until I go through the proper channels here,'' Gregg said. ''I look forward to having a press conference tomorrow (Tuesday) but, until then, I can't comment.''
After Spradlin's interview with Gregg on Jan. 10, however, the principal said he was impressed with the candidate.
''He likes to go in and turn programs around,'' Gregg said. ''I think he'd be good on the football end, but also on the athletic coordinator end, too.''
Gregg has interviewed four candidates for the Cooper coaching position.
Spradlin joined the Houston coaching staff after a four-year stint at Round Rock Westwood High School, leading the 2002 team to a 7-4 record and the school's first district championship. He also coached at Midland Christian and Navasota High School, leading both teams to the playoffs - Midland Christian reaching the state semifinals in 1996.
Spradlin was first hired as a coach at Cooper in 1980, where he worked under Ray Overton as the offensive coordinator for three years. He moved on to join Overton at Irving MacArthur and worked there as both offensive coordinator and offensive line coach until 1986.
He then left coaching for nine years and worked as a district manager at Pride Refining Inc. before returning to the sideline at Midland Christian.
Briles said despite Spradlin's short stint in Houston, he isn't leaving because of an inability to coach at the collegiate level. He added that there shouldn't be any problems making the college-to-high school switch.
''He's proven himself on the collegiate level,'' Briles said. ''He's helped us to become one of the most productive offenses in the nation in the last three years, and I don't imagine he'll have any problem making that transition.
''Abilene Cooper is fixin' to be energized.''