Best In The State

Lankford Wins NFHS Texas Soccer Coach Of The Year

The National Federation of High Schools has named McKinney Boyd girls soccer coach Jimmie Lankford its Texas Soccer Coach of the Year for 2006.

Lankford, who led McKinney North to the 4A championship last season, received a letter Wednesday informing him of the honor. He kept it under wraps, until word began to spread around school Thursday.

“We have a celebrity among us!” began an e-mail sent by Boyd soccer booster Valerie Wright.

Asked his reaction to finding out the news, Lankford said he thought about the girls that played for him, helping those Lady Bulldogs to a 26-0-1 record in 2006.

“I really reflected back on the girls that played for me,” Lankford said. “It’s as much their honor as mine. Their work ethic, how well they played, how well they did. It’s given to me but it’s really given to the team. That’s kind of how I feel about it.”

The NFHS, a parent organization to Texas’ University Interscholastic League, gives out honors on the state, district and national levels. Its state soccer award took into consideration coaches from both boys and girls teams in all classifications. It is also based upon community service and looks at a snapshot of achievements over a three- to four-year period.

Its announcement of all of its winners should be posted on its Web site, nfhs.org, by around March 1.

Lankford’s Boyd team, which contains four starters off his North title team, is off to a 9-0-3 record. It also won its district opener against Mesquite Poteet, 2-0, on Tuesday. That means Lankford hasn’t lost in his past 39 matches dating back to 2005.

But Katherine Cox, a Boyd junior who played for Lankford at North, said he’s no different than he was when he coached the Lady Bulldogs.

“He’s exactly the same guy,” Cox said. “He likes to crack jokes on the field.”

But Lankford has a tough side, too. For instance, practice is not a time for loafing. It’s for, among other things, practicing those set plays that have led to so many goals this season, especially Boyd’s corner kicks.

In addition, the day after Boyd’s first scrimmage against Rowlett on Jan. 5, Lankford’s players lined up for a two-mile jog – “to relax our muscles so we’re not so tight,” Boyd junior Kat Wright. “And I think some of the [former McKinney High players], at the beginning, were like, `We’re doing a two-mile run?’ But it’s not timed. It’s just a cool down, after our game.”

As for Lankford, Wright said, “He’ll challenge you. And I think that helps all of us. Even today, though I’ve played for him the past two years, I’m still learning things.”