44INAROW
06-22-2006, 08:36 AM
The Victoria Advocate - http://TheVictoriaAdvocate.com
Crow leaving Yoakum to become AD for Brazosport school district
MIKE FORMAN - Advocate Sports Writer
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Jessie Crow made no secret of his desire to relinquish his coaching responsibilities and become a full-time athletic director.
When the opportunity presented itself, Crow couldn't turn it down and submitted his resignation as Yoakum's athletic director and head football coach Wednesday to become the athletic director for the Brazosport school district.
"I've been looking for a straight athletic director's job for sometime," Crow said. "I've been to a number of interviews and been a finalist a couple of times but it seemed like I was always a bridesmaid and never the bride. It's nice to finally be the bride."
Crow has been coaching for 32 years and has been a head football coach and athletic director for 23 years, including four years at Taft, nine years at Wharton, and 10 at Yoakum.
"It's a great opportunity as far as me and my career at this point in my career," Crow said. "At my age and with the problems I've had with my back, this is what I was looking to do."
Crow has an overall head-coaching record of 141-102-5 and went 71-33-1 at Yoakum. The Bulldogs had won at least one postseason game for five consecutive seasons until finishing 2-8 and missing the playoffs last season.
Crow is most proud of the success enjoyed by the entire boys and girls athletic program and the improvements to the facilities made during his tenure.
"That's why I enjoyed it so much," Crow said. "They are great, great people. I told people I am not going to coach anywhere else. If I were still going to coach, I would have stayed here. I enjoyed my time here and I don't know if we could have accomplished any more. My wife and I had some great relationships. We really enjoyed the ride."
Crow understands becoming an athletic director for a multi-school district - the Brazosport school district includes Class 5A Brazoswood and Class 4A Brazosport - will be a learning experience.
"It's going to be a little different," Crow said. "I'm going to have to learn the community and make sure both schools are taken care of. It's taken me out of my comfort zone. The people here took awfully good care of me. But it's something I needed to do at this time in my life. It's another move to keep me in athletics."
Mike Poyner, superintendent of the Yoakum school district, said a special meeting of the school district's board of trustees has been scheduled for Saturday to accept Crow's resignation. Poyner said the district has already begun advertising for Crow's replacement and he hopes a new athletic director and head football coach can be hired by the middle of July.
Poyner praised Crow for the job he did at Yoakum.
"He's very professional," Poyner said. "He's the best athletic director I've been around. I was telling the people at Brazosport that when Mark Reeve in Cuero needed to know something about a rule, he said he would call Jessie. He knows all the rules. That's the kind of athletic director he is."
Crow plans to remain at Yoakum at least through the end of the month before beginning his duties in Freeport. Crow is excited about the challenge, but admits he will miss coaching.
"I'm sure come next year, I'll miss being around the kids and working on the X's and O's," Crow said. "I won't miss the game plans and the long hours on Saturday and Sunday. But removing myself from being around the kids, that's going to be hard to do."
• Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Crow leaving Yoakum to become AD for Brazosport school district
MIKE FORMAN - Advocate Sports Writer
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Jessie Crow made no secret of his desire to relinquish his coaching responsibilities and become a full-time athletic director.
When the opportunity presented itself, Crow couldn't turn it down and submitted his resignation as Yoakum's athletic director and head football coach Wednesday to become the athletic director for the Brazosport school district.
"I've been looking for a straight athletic director's job for sometime," Crow said. "I've been to a number of interviews and been a finalist a couple of times but it seemed like I was always a bridesmaid and never the bride. It's nice to finally be the bride."
Crow has been coaching for 32 years and has been a head football coach and athletic director for 23 years, including four years at Taft, nine years at Wharton, and 10 at Yoakum.
"It's a great opportunity as far as me and my career at this point in my career," Crow said. "At my age and with the problems I've had with my back, this is what I was looking to do."
Crow has an overall head-coaching record of 141-102-5 and went 71-33-1 at Yoakum. The Bulldogs had won at least one postseason game for five consecutive seasons until finishing 2-8 and missing the playoffs last season.
Crow is most proud of the success enjoyed by the entire boys and girls athletic program and the improvements to the facilities made during his tenure.
"That's why I enjoyed it so much," Crow said. "They are great, great people. I told people I am not going to coach anywhere else. If I were still going to coach, I would have stayed here. I enjoyed my time here and I don't know if we could have accomplished any more. My wife and I had some great relationships. We really enjoyed the ride."
Crow understands becoming an athletic director for a multi-school district - the Brazosport school district includes Class 5A Brazoswood and Class 4A Brazosport - will be a learning experience.
"It's going to be a little different," Crow said. "I'm going to have to learn the community and make sure both schools are taken care of. It's taken me out of my comfort zone. The people here took awfully good care of me. But it's something I needed to do at this time in my life. It's another move to keep me in athletics."
Mike Poyner, superintendent of the Yoakum school district, said a special meeting of the school district's board of trustees has been scheduled for Saturday to accept Crow's resignation. Poyner said the district has already begun advertising for Crow's replacement and he hopes a new athletic director and head football coach can be hired by the middle of July.
Poyner praised Crow for the job he did at Yoakum.
"He's very professional," Poyner said. "He's the best athletic director I've been around. I was telling the people at Brazosport that when Mark Reeve in Cuero needed to know something about a rule, he said he would call Jessie. He knows all the rules. That's the kind of athletic director he is."
Crow plans to remain at Yoakum at least through the end of the month before beginning his duties in Freeport. Crow is excited about the challenge, but admits he will miss coaching.
"I'm sure come next year, I'll miss being around the kids and working on the X's and O's," Crow said. "I won't miss the game plans and the long hours on Saturday and Sunday. But removing myself from being around the kids, that's going to be hard to do."
• Mike Forman is a sports writer for the Advocate. Contact him at 361-580-6588 or mforman@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.