BY TYLER CLIFTON
HERALD DEMOCRAT
A new era of Sherman football has arrived, and Gary Kinne was the man recommended by the Sherman Independent School District board on Tuesday night by a unanimous vote of 7-0.
Kinne, 42, was hired for a one-year probationary contract and comes to town after most recently leading Clovis West (Calif.) High School to a 10-3 record and central section championship. Born in Mesquite, Kinne and his family will make the move back to the Lone Star State where it all began.
Wife Laurie is a 1990 Denison graduate, and Kinne's parents live in Mesquite, where he played at North Mesquite, later coached at Mesquite High School from 1997-2002 and was defensive coordinator his final season after winning a state championship in 2001.
Oldest son G.J. is competing for the starting quarterback spot at the University of Tulsa this fall, while daughter Kellie and Kinne's parents were in attendance Tuesday night. Laurie and youngest son Landry are back in Fresno with dog Max preparing to make the 24-hour trek east on Interstate 40.
"I'm excited to be here and look forward to working with these athletes in the right matter and serving as a Christian role model for these guys," Kinne said. "There's nothing like Texas High School football, and Friday nights are special, especially in the one-high school towns such as Sherman. Now I need to get some moving trucks and get here."
Kinne replaces Drew Young, who was 37-29 in six seasons in charge of the Bearcats. The current Bearcat staff off assistants is expected to remain, including defensive coordinator Jason Heath and offensive coordinator Royce Slechta, who were two of the six finalists along with Callisburg High's Jerry Bomar, El Paso Hanks' Jeff Cleveland and Mark White of Early.
The original list consisted of 31 applicants from 10 different states, but the final decision came down to head coaching experience, and Kinne fit the mold with his 38-11 record in four seasons, including a 28-8 mark in three years at Canton High School.
"We wanted someone who had athletic leadership and experience serving as an athletic director," SISD Superintendent Dr. Al Hambrick said. "We wanted someone with head coaching experience, but beyond that, we were looking for a person with a history of proven success, and we felt Coach Kinne met our criteria."
Kinne began his coaching career in 1991, where he was an assistant for three seasons at Kaufman High School, including a stint as defensive coordinator in the final two. He was also an assistant at Allen and Mesquite before receiving his first head coaching job at Canton in 2003.
Kinne became national news after the parent of one of his player's shot him in the abdomen and destroyed much of his liver on Apr. 7, 2005. He returned to coach the Eagles in the fall and led them to a school-record 12 wins and their first district title in more than four decades.
He was Baylor's linebackers coach in 2006-07 under now Texas A&M-Commerce coach Guy Morriss and is the eighth-leading tackler in Baylor history with 323 as a linebacker from 1986-89. He earned All-Southwest Conference accolades at his middle linebacker position and was a part of three winning seasons, a Bluebonnet Bowl victory and a No. 12 national ranking in 1986.
On the sidelines, Kinne was named the 2005 Adams USA National Head Coach of the Year and the Fox Sports Southwest State Class 3A Coach of the Year.
Sherman begins its two-a-day workouts on Aug. 3 after not participating in spring practice. Kinne feels the extra week of preparation could pay dividends when it comes to developing chemistry and a sense of camaraderie with his new players.
"I'm glad they didn't have it (spring practice), but there are still a lot of things that will be similar," Kinne said. "It's about making a smooth transition and doing what's best for these kids in the long term."
Kinne credits Baylor coach Grant Teaff for his ability to coach athletes in what he deems the proper way and current Tulsa coach Todd Graham for his competitive style of coaching. At the same time, Kinne stressed the importance of getting Sherman's entire program back to a degree of respectability.
"Obviously people know football is the first order of business, because it's the first sport to open the fall," Kinne said. "I look forward to meeting with all the coaches and evaluating all our programs' strengths and weaknesses."
Kinne is familiar with the Battle of the Ax, its rich history and the fact Sherman has won only one of the last six games in the series. He knows Cody White and Young from recruiting the Texomaland area while at Baylor.
"Coach Young left things in good hands, and you always want to win your rivalry game," Kinne said. "It's one of 10 games though, and the other nine are just as important to the season. We want to be successful in the playoffs and peak at the right time. You want to be realistic about it and play your best football in November and December, but at the same time, winning the first one and getting off to a good start are equally important."
Sherman opens its 2009 season on Aug. 28 at Lake Dallas and quarterback James Franklin, who has committed to the University of Missouri.