Not 3A - but it is football
This article was in the Victoria Advocate this morning. - Refers to "message boards" but they are talking about the one on the callertimes.com in Corpus. I haven't read those boards or anything referred to in this article, but they must of ripped the coach up pretty good.........
"Campbell not ready to throw in the towel
October 12, 2006 - Posted at 12:00 a.m.
It's Thursday afternoon and so far the week had gone fairly well for Memorial head coach Jerry Campbell.
There had been no emergency trips to the hospital or players suddenly quitting the team. The phone calls and e-mails had mostly been encouraging.
For the most part, Campbell had been able to concentrate solely on beating this week's opponent, the San Antonio Southwest Dragons, in tonight's District 27-5A game that could ultimately decide the fate of the Vipers' season and their head coach's career.
Campbell has now lost almost twice as many games as he has won at Memorial. He enters tonight's contest against Southwest with a 13-24 record in 3 1/2 seasons and his Vipers are 1-5 overall and desperately clinging on to their playoff lives with a 1-1 record in 27-5A.
Anonymous posters have campaigned for Campbell's ouster on a discussion forum on the Corpus Christi Caller-Times Web site. Some have claimed racism runs amuck in the Memorial football program and attack Campbell's character. Most only question Campbell's coaching abilities and state that is time for a change.
Campbell is well aware of the posts and said he knows the identities of most of the online detractors. He insists he is not hurt by the comments, but he wonders what kind of perception such online forums are giving people outside of Victoria.
"You get people in Corpus reading that thing and other outsiders and they're thinking 'What in the heck is going on in Victoria?,' " Campbell said Thursday. "I get guys calling me and asking me, 'Coach, are you all right? What's going on there?' because they'll read this stuff."
Most of the negative comments are concerning former backup quarterback Michael Nuells, who quit last week. Some posts state that 15 varsity players quit the team, but Campbell said there have only been three players - Nuells and two other players who rarely played - who have left.
"You're talking about a few kids who made decisions for themselves," Campbell said. "Their decisions weren't based on their teammates. I have a quarterback who quits because he's not getting enough playing time. Heck, I have a bunch of kids who never touch the field but they're the biggest rooters for their teammates."
The comments that bother Campbell the most are the ones that question his character.
"I may not be a good football coach in some respects, but I'm not a bad person," Campbell said. "I'm not going to do anything to disgrace Victoria. I will not do something that is detrimental to this town."
SEASON OF TRIALS
Campbell had nine coaching positions eliminated before the school year. During his tenure at Memorial, Campbell has had a difficult time retaining assistant coaches and the turnover continued after last season.
"Some of them go because they can make a lot more money somewhere else," Campbell explained. "Some of them go to become head football coaches. Some of them go because they feel they've been worked too hard here.
"I had a coach leave last year because he thought we couldn't win in Victoria. If you're going to take on the role of a football coach, it comes with major responsibility and commitment."
On Sept. 17, two days after the Vipers' 47-20 loss at El Campo, Campbell suffered a ruptured blood vessel in his head and had to be rushed to the hospital. The bleeding returned during Memorial's 27-22 district-opening win at San Antonio Highlands on Sept. 29.
Campbell spent the following Monday and Tuesday at home with his family and was able to have some soul-searching conversations with his wife, Debbie. But quitting never entered Campbell's mind.
"I have never felt like throwing in the towel," said Campbell, who will have his nose broken Tuesday and then reset to remove polyps and a bone spur from his sinus cavity.
"There are days when I feel like I may not be the guy who can get it done. But then I pull my boots back and I'm back at it again."
Campbell said he hasn't received any threatening phone calls at home. No one has planted a "For Sale" sign in his front yard, either. "I have good neighbors," Campbell said. "They keep an eye out for me."
But after last week's 30-15 loss to Corpus Christi Ray at Memorial Stadium, Campbell felt the need to have his wife, Debbie, and their 9-year-old daughter Shelby escorted to their car by security personnel.
It was a lowlight of his 35-year coaching career.
"You see your wife and daughter escorted to the parking lot by police and you ask yourself, 'What's wrong with that picture?' "
Winning would cure all ills
Campbell knows the only way to silence his critics is to win. He points to last year's last-second loss to Corpus Christi Carroll in a game for the District 28-5A as a point when the Vipers could have gotten over the hump.
But Campbell also sees off-the-field barriers that must be eliminated for the Memorial football program to rank among the elite in South Texas.
"There are a lot of obstacles here," Campbell said.
Campbell was then asked to elaborate.
"Well, in regards to ... certain things coming together," Campbell said. "The administration has been very supportive to me. I know myself and my coaches, we take no shortcuts. We work 24/7 trying to right the ship. When this school wins, there will be 62,000 people in this town beating the doors down to jump on."
Campbell just hopes he is the Vipers' head coach when that happens.
"I know the reality of it is I will be evaluated by the wins and losses. I will evaluate myself first," he said. "But I'm a man on a mission to get through this thing. I want to get into the playoffs. I still feel we can go out and win.
"My daughter goes to school here and has a lot of good friends. We have a lovely home. I'd like to make this my home for good. But I'd like to make this my home as a winning football coach. I'm a Viper and I'm committed to it. I'll know when the commitment runs out."
