COACHES OF THE MONTH SPOTLIGHTS

Each month, the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD Athletic Department will recognize a coach for his/her accomplishments in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. The recipient will receive a coupon for a free pizza courtesy of MOD Pizza.  "Our coaches work hard on the field and in the classroom with our students and student-athletes," Athletic Director Brent Barker said. "We wanted to recognize them for their hard work and dedication to EMS ISD Athletics and thank you to MOD Pizza for sponsoring this."

                                    October 2024

Head Girls Basketball, Assistant Softball, and Assistant Football Coach David Norris is the spotlight for the October Coach of the Month. “It’s a great feeling,” he admitted when asked about his thoughts on receiving the award. “Anytime your peers or supervisors come along with something like this, it makes you feel like your doing a good job, so I’m thankful.” This year marks Coach Norris’s second with the Rangers. Before he dawned the signature purple, he started his coaching career back in 1986 at Columbia High School and further honed his crafts at other schools such as Brenham, Leakey, San Marcos, and Dripping Springs. As of writing, the season has just started and Coach Norris is already expressing great pride in the team. “We had a scrimmage this past weekend and our girls competed really well. They held their own against a 6-A and state-ranked 5-A team, and they’ve been working really hard.” Coach Norris has won numerous district titles in the past, being a member of the 400-win club, named as a district coach of the year three times over, and having led one of his team at Dripping Springs to the Regional Quarterfinals. He hopes to re-emulate this success with his team of girls this year, since many are returning from years previous and some promising talents taking to the court for the first time as Rangers. “I’m excited to see the growth of the program. We want to try to keep and foster that winners mindset, start building traditions in all our programs, and set some big goals, like district championship and beyond.”

“Coach Norris has stepped up for the Rangers and filled coaching duties through multiple sports while leading and developing the girls basketball program,” said Assistant Campus Coordinator Janine Smith. “We appreciate his work ethic and the culture he is building throughout our programs.”

                                  September 2024

Offensive Coordinator, Assistant Powerlifting and Assistant Track Coach Keylon Kincade is September’s Coach of the Month. “It’s an honor,” he expressed when asked how he felt about the award. “It’s definitely a surprise because I didn’t know there was such a thing in the district, but it’s pretty neat that we have this. Definitely caught me by surprise.” This year marks Coach Kincade’s first with the district, coming in as the Offensive Coordinator for the Rangers and bringing with him a wealth of experience that he has applied to the season so far. His knowledge has helped the Rangers maintain a positive ration on the season up to this point. “I feel good about the season so far,” he said. “Fostering a winning culture is a lot of work, but I’m enjoying and further looking forward to helping these kids create a winner’s mindset in not just football but also in their individual lives too.” As of writing, Chisholm Trail has played five total games in their football schedule and won 80% of those matches, signifying the quick growth of that winning culture Coach Kincade is dedicated to helping the boys achieve. “I’m looking forward to improvement and sustaining that improvement that we make, not just executing what we’ve learned but knowing when to execute it properly as well. If the other team beats us, but we executed at max level, I’m fine with that, but that the main thing. We’re trying to be more consistent.”

                                  April/May 2024

Assistant Girls Basketball and Track Coach Shawnte Goff is the April/May Coach of the Month. “It’s a great honor,” she admitted about receiving the award. “I put my best foot forward everyday to really work on what’s best for the kids and there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing all of the hard work you pour into kids and see them achieve the highest level of success possible. So, it isn’t just me, it’s also a dedication to the skill these student athletes have in their sport.” Coach Goff expressed great pride in the student athletes she help coach throughout her career with the Rangers, both in basketball and track, complementing the hard work the Lady Rangers put in on the court despite the rough season and congratulating the kids that made it all the way to the state level on the track. Coach Goff finishes her career with the Rangers at the end of May, traveling down to College Station where she intends to take up a head coach position. “I’ll be my first year as a head coach over a high school program, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge. You know, it’s sad to leave here, I’ve made some long-lasting friendships and met students that I will remember throughout my years, but I feel like my time here has really prepared me and I’m excited.”

                                     March 2024

Football Offensive Coordinator, Assistant Tack, and Assistant Powerlifting Coach Brian Miller is the March Spotlight Coach of the Month. “It’s exciting to be able to be recognized,” he admitted. “It’s also humbling, at the same time.” Coach Miller has a long history with football and track, being a member of the teams at Northwest High School, Howard Payne University, and Stephen F. Austin University. He began his coaching career at R.C. Clark High School and Plano East Senior High School in Plano, Texas before acting as the offensive coordinator for Bastrop High School where he help lead the Bears to a District Championship in 2009 and the Division II Quarterfinals in 2010. He was then the wide receivers coach at Byron Nelson High School before dawning the colors of the Rangers. “Track, this season, has been awesome,” Coach Miller expressed. “From where we started to where we are now, getting ready to go into district, the boys and girls have been working hard and their times have decreased. It’s exciting to see where we started and how far we’ve come.” He went on to reveal that this season would be his last with the Rangers, citing that he was taking a job to be closer with his three senior boys in Northwest ISD. “I’ve always had what I call the ‘Three Fs’, and that’s faith, family, and football, so I’m really looking forward to taking a step back to coach at the middle school level and spend more time with my family.”

                                February 2024

Head Boys Basketball Coach Rodney McFadden (aka Coach Mac) in February’s Coach of the Month. “It feels great,” he laughed. “It’s a great honor to know that my coaching is making an impact with the kids on campus.” Coach Mac has a long, successful history with the sport, not just in his personal life but in coaching as well. He’s received several titles in his athletic career while also helping to lead districts to victory after victory. McFadden coached both the O.D. Wyatt girls and boys teams, taking the ladies to several district championships and consecutive regional appearances and reviving the boys’ program that hadn’t been to the playoffs for 15 years straight. At Chisholm, this pattern refuses to be broken, helping to establish the Lady Rangers as a force to be reckoned with in the district along with aiding the Rangers in accumulating innumerable victories on the court. “We lost so many guys last season,” he admitted, “so coming into this season, I don’t think anyone expected us to make the playoffs, especially the boys, but they went out there and competed, had each other’s backs, and ultimately overachieved, and that’s the kind of culture we’re trying to build.”

“Coach Mac empowers young men and women every day,” said Assistant Coordinator Janine Smith. “He works to lead these student-athletes to be great basketball players, but he thrives on watching them grow as successful people. It is a pleasure to work with Coach Mac daily.”

                                     January 2024

Chisholm Trail Head Trainer Dean Broxterman is the January Spotlight and the first ever athletic trainer to be named Coach of the Month. “I never really expected this,” he admitted about the nomination. “Athletic trainers don’t get into the business for recognition, but this is quite an honor. I’m surprised.” Coach Brox was an athletic trainer at Richland High School before joining the Rangers but has been in the practice for much longer. He has worked in a variety of settings, from clinical to academic, for more than 30 years, being both Texas state-licensed and nationally certified. “Being a trainer is a good way for me to be involved with athletics without having to exert myself,” he joked, “but I enjoy what I do. Watching the kids who have significant injuries get back on the court and excel is my favorite part of this job.”

“Coach Brox has been a huge help,” Campus Coordinator Ricklan Holmes said, “in me transitioning to the new position, with Rank One and other athletic concerns.” 

November/December 2023

Chisholm Trail Assistant Football/Head Boys Track and Field Coach Delt Cockrell is one of two recipients for the joint month of November/December. Coming down all the way from Amarillo, Texas Coach Cockrell is in his first year as a Ranger. “I have a lot of pride for being named Coach of the Month,” Coach Cockrell admitted. “I love my job and I work really hard at it, so it’s good to have people noticing all of the effort.” Cockrell spent his first two years in EMS ISD at Ed Willkie Middle School before transitioning to the gold and purple of Chisholm Trail where he now coaches the inside linebackers during the fall and spearheads the practices for track and field athletes in the winter and spring. He is passionate about what he does, especially track, competing in a high school state championship for Panhandle High School alongside being named a four year All-American and a four-time National Champion sprinter during his time at Abilene Christian University. “We’re heading into track season now, so I’m very excited to get this program rolling,” Cockrell said. “I do this job because I love being around the kids, watching them compete, and hopefully we’ll have tons of success that we can get back to the state track meet.”

Chisholm Trail Girls Coordinator and Head Volleyball Coach Janine Smith shares the spotlight for the November/December Coach of the Month award. “This is a very nice honor,” Coach Smith said, “especially as a leader on campus.” Smith lives and breathes volleyball, winning the NCAA Championship for the University of Texas at Austin in 1988 and accumulating 30 years of experience as a coach in places like the University of Colorado and the University of Texas at Arlington. “There’s a lot of work to do,” she said when asked about the preparations being made for next fall season, “but I tell the kids that’s what we’re known for: putting the work in, getting better and surprising people in the fall.” With this can-do attitude, Coach Smith has led the Lady Rangers towards several notable accomplishments, such as a bi-district championship during her third season as head coach and a school record of 26 winning games in the team’s second season in 6A. Not only that, but Coach Smith holds the title as Chisholm Trail’s all-time winner, stacking up over 138 victories and counting. “I’m mostly looking forward to the challenge next season,” she revealed. “Seeing all of the work we put into the team transfer over into a game, and helping these girls grow into independent, strong young women.”

“Coach Smith approaches every day with a championship mindset,” Campus Coordinator Byron Bode said. “She is a great leader of young people and a huge asset to the coaches and athletic programs at Chisholm Trail.”

OCTOBER 2023

Chisholm Trail Head Cross Country/Girls Track and Field Coach Joseph Gifford is the October Spotlight Coach of the Month. Coach Gifford is in his first year as a Ranger, coming to EMS ISD from Peaster ISD. “It’s very nice to be recognized by your peers,” Coach Gifford said. “It’s been a tough year, I’m just thankful and honored that they would think of me.” In his first year at the helm, Gifford led the Ranger Boys Cross Country Team to a third place finish, and the girls team who featured a lot of young talent, took fourth at districts. “These kids did everything I asked of them, and what I know I’ve learned from the best,” he said.” He credits everything he knows to Rebekah James at Canyon Randall, who just led her team to a Regional Championship and to Sean Hargrove, who was at Amarillo Tascosa before moving to Amarillo College to coach cross country. “My dad always taught me not to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “These people are very successful, and I’ve learned so much from them that has helped me along the way.” The Rangers won’t lose very many seniors, and Coach Gifford commented how three of the top five girls are freshmen. A few of those are multi-sport athletes, so cross country will help them in their other sports. Advancing to the regional meet, six of the seven boys that ran set a personal record on a notoriously tough course in Lubbock. “Angel Hernandez was definitely looking down and was with us that day,” Coach Gifford said.   Next up is track, where Gifford will team up with Head Boys Coach Delt Cockrell, as they continue to build upon the successes from prior years. They both have similar coaching philosophies, and the excitement is in the air. “Coach Gifford brings a ton of knowledge and energy with him each day,” Campus Coordinator Byron Bode said. “He is passionate about his work, and is good with kids.” 

SEPTEMBER 2023

AUGUST 2023

Chisholm Trail Head Swimming Coach Lance Cleveland is the recipient for the month of August. “Somebody sees something that I didn’t realize. I didn’t realize I was doing something that people thought was worthy of this award,” he said with a laugh. “But seriously, I am very grateful to receive this award. It really means a lot that they think this much of me.” Excitement is riding high for the 2023-24 Ranger swimmers. There is a plethora of freshman boys on the team this year, and he’s looking forward to seeing what his veteran group of girls can accomplish. “This group is committed, and they’ve looked really good so far this year,” he said. “We have some strong relay teams and are strong in the breaststroke. I am looking forward to watching to see what else pops with our new swimmers, and how the new and returners work together.” The swimming team will kick off their season on Sept. 30 at the Fossil Ridge Relays in Keller. They’ll swim in a few different meets that they haven’t swam in before like the Arlington Invitational in mid-October, while still competing at familiar places like the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, and the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Natatorium. In December, will be the second ever EMS ISD tri meet against sister schools Boswell, and Saginaw which will also serve as their senior night. “Coach Cleveland is a loyal team player who steps up in serving the Chisholm Trail Community,” Head Coach Byron Bode said. “He is dependable and willing to assist in any way he can.”