SandieFootballPlayer72
11-30-2005, 08:50 PM
Amarillo High junior quarterback Kyler Hill knows 31 years is a long, long time.
"That's nearly twice as long as I've been alive,'' Hill smiled.
The reason the number 31 was on Hill's mind Tuesday?
Hill's football coach at Amarillo High, Larry Dippel, resigned Tuesday from his duties after 31 seasons guiding the Sandies.
From 1975 to 2005, Dippel coached 347 games at Amarillo High, compiling a 222-120-5 record and winning 14 district championships.
No coach in the athletic history of the Amarillo Independent School District has spent more years as the head coach with one school.
When one starts his coaching career at AHS leading players who listen to disco music on 8-track tapes and ends it with players tuned into IPODs and rap, it's a tenure that leaves a lasting impression.
With Dippel, the impression of 31 years was remembered Tuesday with passion by current players, former players, coaches and administrators.
Words and phrases such as professional, award winner, loyal to his players and assistant coaches, legend, and respected across the state were used to when talking about Dippel.
AHS assistant coach Joe Bain, who was on Dippel's staff for 30 of his 31 years, said measuring Dippel's influence on AHS is like measuring infinity.
"Oh, my gosh, I don't think you can measure the impact Larry had on this program and this school,'' Bain said.
Bain is one of the several longtime Sandie assistants under Dippel. Bain said it's not by accident several assistants, such as line coach George Cobb (all 31 years), have stayed with Dippel throughout his career.
"I will tell you one thing about this staff, no matter who has been on it,'' Bain said. "You see those sideline fights sometimes during football games on TV? We had those on Saturdays and Sundays. But when we left the office Monday for a workout, we were 100-percent together. No doubt, that was because of Larry. He lets you coach.''
Bill Narrell was an assistant at Hereford for three years while Dippel was an assistant.
When Dippel took the AHS job, he hired Narrell as an assistant, and Narrell remained on his staff for 28 years as a defensive coordinator.
"When we came to Amarillo High, it was supposed to be a pretty good job. It certainly turned out to be," Narrell said. "You just don't stay at any job in Texas for that long in a place where they expect you to win unless you're doing something right."
AISD athletic director Tex Nolan said Dippel will be remembered as a class act.
"I have always like the way Larry is a gentleman and always honest,'' Nolan said. "He set perimeters for coaches and let them coach. As long as they stayed within those perimeters. He would have been successful at anything. He was a leader and let people do their job.''
AISD superintendent Rod Schroder was an assistant under Dippel during the late 1970s. He said Dippel is the same today as he was when he was his boss.
"Larry has always brought a high degree of excellence and character to the coaching position,'' Schroder said. "He was a professional. He treated his coaches professionally and he was always willing to listen to ideas. And not just his ideas. We had some intense group discussions. But we knew that we had a head coach who listened to our ideas. That was valuable to young coaches.
"The second thing he did I really liked is he involved all his coaches on the varsity. It's a sad day for the AISD. I'm happy for Larry having such a great career.''
Randall High coach Alan Cornelius, who was a wide receiver under Dippel at Hereford in 1971-72, said his respect for Dippel has never waivered.
"As my coach I appreciated him because he always stuck by his word,'' Cornelius said. "As I got into coaching I respected his consistency. Then when you start playing against him and watching film, you realize all the little things he coaches.
"Coach Dippel has been a great ambassador for the Panhandle, and he is so admired across the state. I've learned to appreciate his passion for the game even more since I was a player.''
Speaking of players, Carl Birdsong was member of Dippel's first two teams at AHS in 1975-76. He later earned All-Pro staus as a punter with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Birdsong, president of Maxor Pharmacy, said what he learned from Dippel, he took with him to the pros.
"I think the world of coach Dippel," Bridsong said. "He taught me the value of preparation no matter how boring and tough it might be. He taught us to keep the work ethic and practicing correctly so when it came game time we would do it naturally. That stuck with me all the time.''
Amarillo Attorney Jason Lynch quarterbacked the Sandies to the state quarterfinals in 1990. Lynch said give Dippel an A.
"There's no question he was instrumental in developing my character,'' Lynch said. "It wasn't just my character. My dad and I were trying to do the math and figure out how many kids he had an impact on over the years. We couldn't even come up with the number. It's immeasurable. I'm truly saddened. I don't think he can ever be replaced."
As for Hill, the junior who has been alive about half as long as Dippel coached at AHS? Hill was the last starting QB for Dippel, earning offensive player of the year honors while helping the Sandies to a 10-2 record.
"Coach Dippel has been there so long and through every possible situation you could imagine,'' Hill said. "From my standpoint, he could always figure out what his players did best. And he always asked me what I thought. He knew the more comfortable the players were the better they would perform.
"Of course I will miss him. We all will.''
"That's nearly twice as long as I've been alive,'' Hill smiled.
The reason the number 31 was on Hill's mind Tuesday?
Hill's football coach at Amarillo High, Larry Dippel, resigned Tuesday from his duties after 31 seasons guiding the Sandies.
From 1975 to 2005, Dippel coached 347 games at Amarillo High, compiling a 222-120-5 record and winning 14 district championships.
No coach in the athletic history of the Amarillo Independent School District has spent more years as the head coach with one school.
When one starts his coaching career at AHS leading players who listen to disco music on 8-track tapes and ends it with players tuned into IPODs and rap, it's a tenure that leaves a lasting impression.
With Dippel, the impression of 31 years was remembered Tuesday with passion by current players, former players, coaches and administrators.
Words and phrases such as professional, award winner, loyal to his players and assistant coaches, legend, and respected across the state were used to when talking about Dippel.
AHS assistant coach Joe Bain, who was on Dippel's staff for 30 of his 31 years, said measuring Dippel's influence on AHS is like measuring infinity.
"Oh, my gosh, I don't think you can measure the impact Larry had on this program and this school,'' Bain said.
Bain is one of the several longtime Sandie assistants under Dippel. Bain said it's not by accident several assistants, such as line coach George Cobb (all 31 years), have stayed with Dippel throughout his career.
"I will tell you one thing about this staff, no matter who has been on it,'' Bain said. "You see those sideline fights sometimes during football games on TV? We had those on Saturdays and Sundays. But when we left the office Monday for a workout, we were 100-percent together. No doubt, that was because of Larry. He lets you coach.''
Bill Narrell was an assistant at Hereford for three years while Dippel was an assistant.
When Dippel took the AHS job, he hired Narrell as an assistant, and Narrell remained on his staff for 28 years as a defensive coordinator.
"When we came to Amarillo High, it was supposed to be a pretty good job. It certainly turned out to be," Narrell said. "You just don't stay at any job in Texas for that long in a place where they expect you to win unless you're doing something right."
AISD athletic director Tex Nolan said Dippel will be remembered as a class act.
"I have always like the way Larry is a gentleman and always honest,'' Nolan said. "He set perimeters for coaches and let them coach. As long as they stayed within those perimeters. He would have been successful at anything. He was a leader and let people do their job.''
AISD superintendent Rod Schroder was an assistant under Dippel during the late 1970s. He said Dippel is the same today as he was when he was his boss.
"Larry has always brought a high degree of excellence and character to the coaching position,'' Schroder said. "He was a professional. He treated his coaches professionally and he was always willing to listen to ideas. And not just his ideas. We had some intense group discussions. But we knew that we had a head coach who listened to our ideas. That was valuable to young coaches.
"The second thing he did I really liked is he involved all his coaches on the varsity. It's a sad day for the AISD. I'm happy for Larry having such a great career.''
Randall High coach Alan Cornelius, who was a wide receiver under Dippel at Hereford in 1971-72, said his respect for Dippel has never waivered.
"As my coach I appreciated him because he always stuck by his word,'' Cornelius said. "As I got into coaching I respected his consistency. Then when you start playing against him and watching film, you realize all the little things he coaches.
"Coach Dippel has been a great ambassador for the Panhandle, and he is so admired across the state. I've learned to appreciate his passion for the game even more since I was a player.''
Speaking of players, Carl Birdsong was member of Dippel's first two teams at AHS in 1975-76. He later earned All-Pro staus as a punter with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Birdsong, president of Maxor Pharmacy, said what he learned from Dippel, he took with him to the pros.
"I think the world of coach Dippel," Bridsong said. "He taught me the value of preparation no matter how boring and tough it might be. He taught us to keep the work ethic and practicing correctly so when it came game time we would do it naturally. That stuck with me all the time.''
Amarillo Attorney Jason Lynch quarterbacked the Sandies to the state quarterfinals in 1990. Lynch said give Dippel an A.
"There's no question he was instrumental in developing my character,'' Lynch said. "It wasn't just my character. My dad and I were trying to do the math and figure out how many kids he had an impact on over the years. We couldn't even come up with the number. It's immeasurable. I'm truly saddened. I don't think he can ever be replaced."
As for Hill, the junior who has been alive about half as long as Dippel coached at AHS? Hill was the last starting QB for Dippel, earning offensive player of the year honors while helping the Sandies to a 10-2 record.
"Coach Dippel has been there so long and through every possible situation you could imagine,'' Hill said. "From my standpoint, he could always figure out what his players did best. And he always asked me what I thought. He knew the more comfortable the players were the better they would perform.
"Of course I will miss him. We all will.''