This may not be news to some but it was to me.
http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/communi ... 10913.html
By DERRICK STUCKLY BROWNWOOD BULLETIN [email protected]
RICHLAND SPRINGS — What's old is new again in Richland Springs.
After resigning in late March to accept to head football coach and athletic director position at Gordon, Jerry Burkhart — who guided the Coyotes to a state record half dozen six-man state championships — was officially rehired at Richland Springs on Wednesday.
"I want to say thank you to the school board for taking me back," said Burkhart, who will be head football coach and boys athletic coordinator. Shawn Rogers, the girls basketball head coach and an assistant on the Coyote football staff, will be the girls athletic coordinator.
Burkhart, who was set to begin his duties at Gordon on May 6, left the night before and returned to Richland Springs, resigning his position. Burkhart finished the school year in a teaching only capacity role at Richland Springs before being promoted to his former position this past week.
"Ninety-nine percent of the reason why I'm back is because of my children and my wife, who mean the world to me," Burkhart said. "Gordon did nothing wrong, but my kids are Coyotes. When we got over there, I noticed my kids and wife were down a little bit. The little ones kept crying and my wife was upset. I realized I was putting myself before what my family wanted. They had just been listening to me and had been holding it in for so long. But deep down inside, I felt the same way. I felt like I had left something special."
Speculation among followers of six-man football had surfaced in recent weeks that Burkhart's change of heart was due to Gordon losing a couple of key players, and Richland Springs potentially adding some new faces to its roster for 2013.
"That never played a factor in it at all," Burkhart said. "They had a little turmoil over there, but there are no kids leaving Gordon. And Richland Springs never had any kids move in. I know some people are saying that, but we have the same five we had in offseason and we have eight coming in as freshmen."
Burkhart reiterated family was the driving force behind his return to the program he built into the best in Texas six-man football history.
"A lot of things happened before I felt (Richland Springs)," Burkhart said. "The community had a send-off for me and that really hurt me a lot. So many people that I loved and cared about here, I know I hurt them. There was a field day and some of the kids were crying because we were leaving and then my children started crying, that played a big factor in my heart. Haustin graduated here and Jordan and Landon, all they've ever known was being Coyotes to the bone."
As for Gordon, Burkhart believes the Longhorns will be state championship contenders no matter who guides the program. Part of the allure at Gordon was not only the talent on the roster, but the tradition and facilities.
"It felt so right," Burkhart said of his initial decision to leave for Gordon. "The offer was there, the money was there, the facilities were there, but it just wasn't going to feel like home. You can have great facilities, but it doesn't beat what's inside.
"The facilities at Richland Springs may not be the greatest, we don't have a track around the field and the basketball gym is an old rock gym, but you can't beat what's inside of that school and the heart and dedication of the kids, administration and school board."
Burkhart stated he understands he burnt several bridges within the Gordon community, and still has a number of relationships to repair in Richland Springs now that he is back in his former role.
"I have some fences to mend and I did hurt some feelings," Burkhart said. "I know that coming back in, some people will welcome me with open arms. A lot of people are happy I'm back and some people were glad to see me leave. I know it was a shock to a lot of people that I was leaving, but I'm here saying I made a mistake. My family are Coyotes and I am, too. I feel like God let me walk through that door to let me see what I have here in Richland Springs and to show me that this is our home. I think I took that for granted."
Relationships that will not require repair are the ones Burkhart has with his players and Rogers, who appeared to be the front-runner to replace Burkhart after working alongside the Coyote head coach for a number of years.
"We're like brothers," Burkhart said of Rogers. "We've been through a lot together, not just football, but things in life. He and I are pretty tight. He never wanted me to leave in the first place, but he understood why I was doing it. And I've apologized to the kids and they are so happy I'm back. Now we want to move on."
As for the future of the Coyote program, due to graduation and the coaching chaos, the three-time defending Six-Man Division II state champions — who carry a 45-game win streak into the 2013 season opener — have slipped off the radar of some preseason prognosticators. But Burkhart has no issue with being the underdog.
"Everybody writes us off every year, and we've had some adversity and we don't have a lot of depth," Burkhart said. "But we've got some really good players who continue to work hard. Hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard, and we're going to outwork our opponents. It'd be nice to make another run at a state championship, but we know we have our work cut out for us. But the challenge is what makes it exciting."
http://www.brownwoodtx.com/news/communi ... 10913.html
By DERRICK STUCKLY BROWNWOOD BULLETIN [email protected]
RICHLAND SPRINGS — What's old is new again in Richland Springs.
After resigning in late March to accept to head football coach and athletic director position at Gordon, Jerry Burkhart — who guided the Coyotes to a state record half dozen six-man state championships — was officially rehired at Richland Springs on Wednesday.
"I want to say thank you to the school board for taking me back," said Burkhart, who will be head football coach and boys athletic coordinator. Shawn Rogers, the girls basketball head coach and an assistant on the Coyote football staff, will be the girls athletic coordinator.
Burkhart, who was set to begin his duties at Gordon on May 6, left the night before and returned to Richland Springs, resigning his position. Burkhart finished the school year in a teaching only capacity role at Richland Springs before being promoted to his former position this past week.
"Ninety-nine percent of the reason why I'm back is because of my children and my wife, who mean the world to me," Burkhart said. "Gordon did nothing wrong, but my kids are Coyotes. When we got over there, I noticed my kids and wife were down a little bit. The little ones kept crying and my wife was upset. I realized I was putting myself before what my family wanted. They had just been listening to me and had been holding it in for so long. But deep down inside, I felt the same way. I felt like I had left something special."
Speculation among followers of six-man football had surfaced in recent weeks that Burkhart's change of heart was due to Gordon losing a couple of key players, and Richland Springs potentially adding some new faces to its roster for 2013.
"That never played a factor in it at all," Burkhart said. "They had a little turmoil over there, but there are no kids leaving Gordon. And Richland Springs never had any kids move in. I know some people are saying that, but we have the same five we had in offseason and we have eight coming in as freshmen."
Burkhart reiterated family was the driving force behind his return to the program he built into the best in Texas six-man football history.
"A lot of things happened before I felt (Richland Springs)," Burkhart said. "The community had a send-off for me and that really hurt me a lot. So many people that I loved and cared about here, I know I hurt them. There was a field day and some of the kids were crying because we were leaving and then my children started crying, that played a big factor in my heart. Haustin graduated here and Jordan and Landon, all they've ever known was being Coyotes to the bone."
As for Gordon, Burkhart believes the Longhorns will be state championship contenders no matter who guides the program. Part of the allure at Gordon was not only the talent on the roster, but the tradition and facilities.
"It felt so right," Burkhart said of his initial decision to leave for Gordon. "The offer was there, the money was there, the facilities were there, but it just wasn't going to feel like home. You can have great facilities, but it doesn't beat what's inside.
"The facilities at Richland Springs may not be the greatest, we don't have a track around the field and the basketball gym is an old rock gym, but you can't beat what's inside of that school and the heart and dedication of the kids, administration and school board."
Burkhart stated he understands he burnt several bridges within the Gordon community, and still has a number of relationships to repair in Richland Springs now that he is back in his former role.
"I have some fences to mend and I did hurt some feelings," Burkhart said. "I know that coming back in, some people will welcome me with open arms. A lot of people are happy I'm back and some people were glad to see me leave. I know it was a shock to a lot of people that I was leaving, but I'm here saying I made a mistake. My family are Coyotes and I am, too. I feel like God let me walk through that door to let me see what I have here in Richland Springs and to show me that this is our home. I think I took that for granted."
Relationships that will not require repair are the ones Burkhart has with his players and Rogers, who appeared to be the front-runner to replace Burkhart after working alongside the Coyote head coach for a number of years.
"We're like brothers," Burkhart said of Rogers. "We've been through a lot together, not just football, but things in life. He and I are pretty tight. He never wanted me to leave in the first place, but he understood why I was doing it. And I've apologized to the kids and they are so happy I'm back. Now we want to move on."
As for the future of the Coyote program, due to graduation and the coaching chaos, the three-time defending Six-Man Division II state champions — who carry a 45-game win streak into the 2013 season opener — have slipped off the radar of some preseason prognosticators. But Burkhart has no issue with being the underdog.
"Everybody writes us off every year, and we've had some adversity and we don't have a lot of depth," Burkhart said. "But we've got some really good players who continue to work hard. Hard work beats talent that doesn't work hard, and we're going to outwork our opponents. It'd be nice to make another run at a state championship, but we know we have our work cut out for us. But the challenge is what makes it exciting."
