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<\/a><\/p>\nSteven Cerny: Former athletic director and head coach for Shiner ISD;<\/p>\n
Mike Hedrick: Former head football coach at Tomball and Klein Oak High Schools;<\/p>\n
Weldon Nelms: Highly successful head football coach at Wimberley and other Texas programs;<\/p>\n
Johnny Ringo: Veteran coach and athletic director across various Texas programs.<\/p>\n
Wilson received the Tom Landry Award, while Stallard was honored with the Putt Powell Award for the Texas Sportswriter of the Year recognition.<\/p>\n
JOHN KING<\/p>\n
In addition to his Hall of Honor induction, King is receiving the Coaching Beyond the Game Award.<\/p>\n
King is a highly accomplished coach and former multi-sport state champion who played collegiate football at Northwestern State University, where he was a four-year letterman and Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He began his coaching career at Many High School (La.) and later coached at Northwestern State University, West Ouachita High School, and Ouachita Parish High School before moving to Longview High School in 2000 as offensive coordinator.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Named head coach of the Longview Lobos in 2004, King has compiled an overall record of 240-52 and a district mark of 122-11, 17 district titles, multiple state final appearances and a 6A State Championship in 2018. Lobos were also state finalists in 2008 and 2009 under King.<\/p>\n
A respected leader statewide, Coach King has served on the THSCA Board of Directors for Region VI from 2011-2014, as THSCA President for 2021-2022 school year, and remains a powerful influence in Texas high school athletics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
DENNIS PARKER\u00a0<\/p>\n
Parker is a distinguished football coach whose career spans more than five decades. He began coaching in 1972 and became the youngest head football coach in Texas 5A history at age 24 before achieving championship success as offensive coordinator at Converse Judson and later as head coach at Marshall High School, where he won the 1990 6A state title. Parker\u2019s career also included collegiate coaching stops, two East Texas Coach of the Year honors, statewide Coach of the Year recognition, a term on the THSCA Board from 1989-1991, and he served as THSCA All-Star head coach.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Known for his \u201cCoaching to Change Lives\u201d philosophy, Parker\u2019s lasting legacy lies in his commitment to character development, mentorship, and the profound impact of coaching on young lives.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Parker began his career in 1972 as a junior high coach at Whittier Junior High in San Antonio and his final year as a coach was 2017 in his hometown of Idabel, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n
During a 45-year career, he coached at the high school level and also at the DI, DII and DIII college level at schools in Texas, Missouri, Arizona and Oklahoma.<\/p>\n
Coached at Marshall High School for seven seasons, compiling a 56-27-1 record and leading the Mavericks to a Class 5A \u201cbig school\u201d state title in 1990.<\/p>\n
He served as the head football coach at the University of North Texas from 1991 to 1993 and at Texas Lutheran University from 2007 to 2009.<\/p>\n
JACK STALLARD\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Putt Powell Award recognizes a sportswriter for their work in sports coverage for the state of Texas. Each THSCA region nominates a sportswriter at their February Regional Meeting and the award recipient is chosen from the eight nominees at the Spring THSCA Board of Directors meeting.\u00a0 The honor has been given since 1958.<\/p>\n
Stallard is the sports editor of the Longview News-Journal and a Kilgore resident. He is just the fourth writer from East Texas to earn the award. He joins Steve Sinclair of the Tyler Morning Telegraph (1979), Van Thomas of the Polk County Enterprise (1999), and Pat Turner of the Jacksonville Daily Progress (2000).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stallard, 60, starts his 41st year in August as a sports writer in Texas. He is married to his wife, Rachel, since 1998 and they have one son, Kyle, and a brand new (married in April) daughter-in-law, Olivia<\/p>\n
A Tennessee native, Jack relocated to East Texas in the 1980s. He started as a correspondent for the Kilgore News Herald in 1986 while attending Kilgore College.\u00a0 He was the sports editor of the Kilgore News Herald from 1987-1990. He spent time at the Lufkin Daily News before returning to the Piney Woods as the assistant sports editor at the News-Journal in 1997. He eventually was elevated to the sports editor\u2019s post in 2006, although he has also served in a news editorial capacity and contributes to various other media, especially in football season, having written for Dave Campbell\u2019s Texas Football and appeared as a guest on numerous news programs and podcasts.<\/p>\n
\u00a0He was named Sportswriter of the Year by the Texas Girls Coaches Association in 2004 and 2021 and was the American Southwest Conference\u2019s Outstanding Media Service winner in 2014.<\/p>\n
Stallard was\u00a0 inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2020 (contributor for coverage of sports in East Texas), the Kilgore College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023 (contributor for coverage of KC athletics since 1986) and the Region XIV\/Texas Eastern Conference 2024 Legends Class (for coverage of the conference since 1986).<\/p>\n
Also, he is one of three media advisory board members for the entire 20 years of the Texas Built Ford Tough Player of the Week\/Player of the Year honors, serves as all-state chairman for volleyball and softball for the Texas Sportswriters Association since 1998 and is a contributing writer for Dave Campbell\u2019s Texas Football Magazine since 1998.<\/p>\n
W.L. \u201cPutt\u201d Powell of the Amarillo Globe-News was, with Harold V. Ratliff, one of the originators of the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. Powell joined the Amarillo sports department in 1930 and wrote for the paper for more than 62 years, until shortly before his death on Dec. 24, 1992. His \u201cPuttin\u2019 Around\u201d column, which he started in 1943, was required reading for West Texas sports fans for almost a half-century. Powell was also a key figure in organizing the Texas Sports Writers Association, the Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame and the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Awards, presented annually to the city\u2019s most outstanding high school athletes. Powell was presented with the Texas High School Coaches Association\u2019s Distinguished Service Award in 1978, only the second sportswriter to be so honored.<\/p>\n
OSCAR WILSON<\/p>\n
Coach Wilson,\u00a0 an assistant head coach who is also the running backs coach, will receive the THSCA 2026 Tom Landry Award. He is being honored for his positive impact he\u2019s made on the athletes and the game of football in Texas.<\/p>\n
He graduated from H.B. Pemberton High School in Marshall in 1970, East Texas State University with a bachelor of science and Stephen F. Austin State University in 1986 with a master of education.
He\u2019s worked at Longview High School since 1979. The other schools where he has worked include Longview ISD\u2019s Forest Park Middle School, Hallsville High School, Marshall High School and Pittsburg High School.<\/p>\n
The banquet also celebrated state championship coaches and THSCA award winners. It sets the tone for a weekend dedicated to excellence in coaching, sportsmanship, and professional development.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s convention is expected to welcome approximately 17,000 coaches, athletic directors, athletic trainers, and vendors, making it the largest convention of its kind in the nation and creating an unmatched opportunity for learning, networking, and professional growth.<\/p>\n
Other THSCA award winners:<\/p>\n
Athletic Trainer of the Year in collaboration with Dell Children\u2019s Ascension- Anthony Peppers, Lubbock<\/p>\n
Since 1996, the Athletic Trainer of the Year Award is given to an athletic trainer in recognition of outstanding services and care provided to athletes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Curly Hays Officials Award- Ricky Prine<\/p>\n
Since 1988, the Curly Hays Award is given annually to a retired game official that has contributed twenty or more years of services to officiating, athletics and athletes in the state of Texas.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Distinguished Service Award- Phil Sirois<\/p>\n
Created in 1960, the THSCA Distinguished Service Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding achievement to a person or organization that has excelled in their efforts to assist the THSCA and the coaching profession.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jody Conradt Award- Heather Woodman, Arlington Lamar HS<\/p>\n
The Jody Conradt Award is given to a female who has made a significant contribution to women\u2019s high school athletics in Texas. The candidate should have served as a positive role-model for both athletes and coaches alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coaching Beyond the Game (Boys Coach)- John King, Longview HS<\/p>\n
Coaching Beyond the Game (Girls Coach)- Brooke Brittain, Mansfield HS<\/p>\n
These awards are presented to coaches who have impacted their team, school and community through their passion and commitment to coach beyond the game. Their commitment to teaching life skills and character development is fueled by their desire to create social change. These outstanding coaches serve as beacons of leadership for their school and their community, while raising the bar as a positive role model and mentor for both the student-athletes and their colleagues. We salute these great coaches for creating programs that help prepare their athletes to make the right decisions and become contributing members to society as they enter adulthood.<\/p>\n
The Texas High School Coaches Association (THSCA) is Texas high school coaches\u2019 principal advocate and leadership organization. The THSCA provides the highest quality representation, education, and services to Texas High School coaches and affiliate members by enhancing the professionalism of coaches and the schools they represent.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
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