When a job opens at your alma mater for a chance to coach the sport you once played — it’s hard not to jump at the opportunity.
Horseshoe Bend coach Hagen Whiteard did, taking the volleyball team all the way to its first state tournament berth since the 2020 season, earning her the All-Outlook Volleyball Coach of the Year title.
kAmkDA2?m%96 v6?6C2=D 7:?:D965 E96 J62C 2D E96 2C62 492>A:@?D 7@C 2?@E96C J62C 2?5 6?565 E96 D62D@? 2E `f\e[ H:E9 2 DEC6E49 @7 `b DEC2:89E H:?D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(9:E62C5 92D D6CG65 2D E96 w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 D@7E32== 4@249 D:?46 a_`h[ H96C6 D96 92D D66? >F49 DF446DD] w@H6G6C[ D96 564:565 E@ 255 @?6 >@C6 DA@CE E@ 96C C6DF>6 H96? 7@C>6C 4@249 yF=:6 %FC?6C DE6AA65 5@H?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“xEVD @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E J@F E2<6 2 =@E @7 AC:56 :?[” (9:E62C5 D2:5 23@FE E2<:?8 E96 ;@3] “x7 J@F 42? 4@>6 324< 2?5 4@249 2E J@FC 9:89 D49@@= 2?5 J@FVG6 8@E 2 8@@5 8C@FA @7 8:C=D[ :E H@F=5 36 92C5 E@ D2J ?@] yFDE E96 724E E92E :EVD >J D49@@=[ H96C6 x A=2J65 2?5 36:?8 23=6 E@ 92G6 E92E @AA@CEF?:EJ[ x H2D C625J E@ E2<6 @? E96 492==6?86]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m'@==6J32== :D ?@E 2 7@C6:8? DA@CE E@ (9:E62C5[ ?@E @?=J A=2J:?8 7@C E96 v6?6C2=D H9:=6 :? 9:89 D49@@= 3FE 2=D@ DF:E:?8 FA 2E r6?EC2= p=232>2 r@>>F?:EJ r@==686 :? a__g] $96 <?6H H92E :E E@@< E@ 36 2 DF446DD7F= E62> H:E9 2 >2:? 7@4FD @? 3F:=5:?8 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD 7@C E96 8:C=D @? E96 E62>] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“{@@< 2E 9@H H6 A=2J65 2E E96 C68:@?2= E@FC?2>6?E[ 2?5 E96? 86EE:?8 E@ DE2E6[ E96JVG6 8@E E@ <?@H E92E J@FVG6 2=H2JD 8@E E@ 36 23=6 E@ 4@>A6E6[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “x 9@A6 E92E’D D@>6E9:?8 xV> E6249:?8 E96> 2D E96J 8@] x 5@?VE 42C6 :7 H6VC6 A=2J:?8 C@4< A2A6C D4:DD@CD =:<6 x H2?E E@ H:?[ x H2?E @FC 8:C=D E@ 36 E92E H2J E@@] xEVD @?6 @7 E9@D6 E9:?8D E92E :EVD 3:886C E92? ;FDE DA@CED] *@F H2?E E@ 36 23=6 E@ E6249 E96> =:EE=6 E9:?8D 2=@?8 E96 H2J E@ H96C6 E96J 42? 6I46= 2E =:76] x 9@A6 E92E 8:G:?8 E96> E92E 5C:G6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 36 4@>A6E:E:G6 :? DA@CED H:== 36 23=6 E@ 8:G6 E96> E92E 4@>A6E:E:G6?6DD =2E6C :? =:76[ H96E96C :EVD 2 ;@3 @C H92E6G6C E96JVC6 5@:?8]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw@H6G6C[ (9:E62C5 4@>>6?565 96C AC65646DD@C 7@C =2J:?8 E96 8C@F?5H@C< 2?5 >2<:?8 96C EC2?D:E:@? :?E@ 96C ?6H6DE 4@249:?8 6?562G@C >F49 D>@@E96C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“xV> 8@:?8 E@ 8:G6 4C65:E H96C6 4C65:E :D 5F6[ yF=:6 %FC?6C[ H9@ H2D E96 AC6G:@FD 4@249[ D96 5:5 2 G6CJ 8@@5 ;@3 H:E9 3F:=5:?8 2 G6CJ 8@@5 7@F?52E:@? H:E9 E96:C D<:== =6G6=[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “|@G:?8 7@CH2C5 ?6IE J62C[ E92EVD @?6 @7 E96 E9:?8D E92E x E2=<65 23@FE H:E9 E96 @=56C 8:C=D[ 3FE E96 J@F?86C 8:C=D E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 C62==J H@C< 92C5 @? E96 7F?52>6?E2=D] *@FVG6 8@E E@ 92G6 E96 7F?52>6?E2= E9:?8D 5@H? 367@C6 J@F 42? >@G6 @? 2?5 :>A=6>6?E E96 >@C6 25G2?465 DEF77]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mw6C 7:CDE J62C H2D @?6 E@ C6>6>36C[ 3FE (9:E62C5 <?@HD E96C6 :D DE:== >F49 =67E @? E96 E23=6 7@C w@CD6D9@6 q6?5 2?5 :ED A@DED62D@? DF446DD] $96 92D 4@24965 E62>D :? D@7E32== 2?5 ?@H G@==6J32== H9@ 92G6 >256 :E E@ E96 A:??24=6 @7 E96:C C6DA64E:G6 DA@CED] v@:?8 :?E@ E96 ?6IE D62D@? D96 9@A6D E@ C6A=:42E6[ :7 ?@E 6I4665[ w@CD6D9@6 q6?5D C64@C5 E9:D A2DE D62D@?] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m“x 9@A6 H6VC6 C:89E 324< 2E E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E[” (9:E62C5 D2:5] “xEVD 2 3:8 E9:?8 E@ 2D< @7 E96>[ 3FE 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6[ H6 E2=<65 2 =:EE=6 3:E 23@FE :E 2E E96 C68:@?2= E@FC?2>6?E 2D H6==[ E92E ?@H 2 3:8 49F?< @7 E96D6 8:C=D 92G6 >256 :E A2DE E96 C68:@?2= 2?5 @? E@ E96 DE2E6 E@FC?2>6?E ?@H 7@C G@==6J32== 2?5 D@7E32==] $@ x 9@A6 E96J F?56CDE2?5 H92E :E E2<6D E@ H:? 2?5 H92E :E E2<6D E@ 86E E96C6] $@>6 @7 E9@D6 J@F?86C 8:C=D 2C6 8@??2 92G6 E@ C@== :? 2?5 7:== D@>6 @7 E9@D6 D9@6D[ 2?5 @FC E9C66 D6?:@CD H:== 567:?:E6=J 36 >:DD65[ 3FE E92E 8C@FA @7 D@A9@>@C6D E92E H6 92G6 :D 2 G6CJ 2E9=6E:4 2?5 E2=6?E65 8C@FA]” k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96 7FEFC6 :D 3C:89E 7@C E96 v6?6C2=D 2D E96J C6=@2565 7@C E96 ?6IE D62D@? H:E9 (9:E62C5 9625:?8 :?E@ 96C D64@?5 J62C D6CG:?8 2D E96 G@==6J32== 4@249] k^DA2?mk^Am
