Sharks’ coach earns website’s ultimate honor

[KFDM COOP]

Sharks’ coach earns website’s ultimate honor

Dave Rogers’ column for Thursday, March 1

The Port Arthur News

In most Texas communities, a three-win football season would have the coach on shaky ground. But for more than two decades, Sabine Pass has not been just any Texas community when it comes to high school football.

So Jason Thibodeaux’s reward for leading the Sharks to a 3-5 season last fall was winning the Gordon Wood Award for the Most Outstanding Class 1A Coach in the state from the website texashsfootball.com.

“I’ve worked with numerous athletic directors and Jason’s one of the tops,†Sabine Pass superintendent Mack Nash said Wednesday. “I know he cares about kids. He’s very positive and consistent. He’s a first class person. He leads by example. He’s what those kids look up to.â€

Of course, there’s lots of backstory at Sabine Pass, starting with the fact that before 2006, the school had not competed in UIL football in two decades, after dropping the sport altogether when it had too few students to field a team.

Then, there was the major event of Hurricane Rita, which did its best to wipe out the entire fishing community back in September, 2005. That included wrecking the Sabine Pass stadium, ruining all the school’s athletic equipment and closing the school for over a month, all of which combined to end the 2005 season at mid-point.

The hurricane also wrecked the home of then football coach and athletic director Ken Wallace, an event which was followed a few months later by Wallace following superintendent Walter Fenn to a new job a hundred miles inland. That’s how Thibodeaux, an assistant last year, got the job.

“We needed someone to fill in as athletic director and get things going, most everything was destroyed,†recalled Zach Byrd, interim superintendent at Sabine Pass between Fenn and Nash. “I recommended to the board they make him (Thibodeaux) interim athletic director and he did good work. He got everything up and organized.â€

Thibodeaux’s 2007 football team first ended a two-year losing streak, then came within one win of qualifying for the Class A playoffs. Christopher Lyke, the owner and chief editor of TexasHSFootball.com, noticed.

“The criteria (for the coach of the year award) does not totally involve how many wins the coach has,†Lyke told The News. “It is  more for showing what a coach has done in a year’s span from where they were to where they are now.â€

Taking a team with all the disadvantages of Sabine Pass to “missing the playoffs by a single game says a whole lot about the character of what he has done to get the Sharks from Point A to Point B,†Lyke said.

“We tried to evaluate the circumstances throughout the state with many programs. None are more remarkable than what Sabine Pass ISD and the Sharks’ football program went through in a one-year span. Character, leadership, success, spirit and unity is what this award represents.â€

Other winners of the website’s Gordon Wood coach of the year award were Scott Smith of Rockwall in 5A, Richard Whitaker of Port Lavaca Calhoun in 4A, Neal Searcy of Wichita Falls Hirschi in 3A and Marcus Booker of Cotulla in 2A.

All four of those coaches’ teams qualified for the playoffs. Searcy and Booker were among the applicants for the recently filled Beaumont Ozen job.

[Kryptonite proof]

Couldnt happen to a more deserving guy. I played for Coach Thib and he is one of the best coaches i ever played for. he really cared about the team as well as each individual player. He helped our school with team spirit and was an excellent role model. He was a  great coach and even better person. So i can say on the behalf of your old D'ville players coach congrats and we wish the best for you and ur family in the upcoming years

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Didnt he coach at SFA?

[Guest SPORTSNUT1111]

YES

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I remember him now....  ;D

he was there when i graduated

[dhspiratemom]

Congrats to Coach Thib. No one could be more deserving. He is a true class act. He is one of the few who actually cares about the kids, both on and off the field. He is an awesome person and coach. His leaving was one of the biggest losses for Deweyville. He should have been AD. We really miss him, but we wish the best for him and his family, no one deserves it more. Way to go Coach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest SPORTSNUT1111]

You can read some FUNNY stuff on here.  :D :D :D

[duke2559]

what bout this strikes you as funny. just interested

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Congrats to Coach Thib. No one could be more deserving. He is a true class act. He is one of the few who actually cares about the kids, both on and off the field. He is an awesome person and coach. His leaving was one of the biggest losses for Deweyville. He should have been AD. We really miss him, but we wish the best for him and his family, no one deserves it more. Way to go Coach!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

who was the head coach for D-Ville that had came from SFA? cant remember the name

[duke2559]

Mike Comeaux

[Guest sps]

coach tibbs is a wonderful coach

he runs his team under class and discipline

you will never find a coach better then him

if you do it would be hard

[kirbyvillebaseball]

Not many people know about Thib's fettish for chocolate covered almonds.  And man, how he would command his Leadership classes at Deweyville!  Never a dry eye in the room!

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

Mike Comeaux

He's still the coach?

[Guest Sports Cards]

Coach Thibedoux and Vines at Sabine Pass are two of the most class act coaches I've ever met.  I'm glad to seem some good guys over there at Sabine Pass leading that program to another level!