BH Hires Two-time State Champ Coach - Ronnie Gage

[HillGuy]

Hot off the press!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BH hires two-time state champ coach
By Dave Rogers
The Baytown Sun
Published January 19, 2010
MONT BELVIEU – Barbers Hill school trustees voted 7-0 Monday night to hire Ronnie Gage, a recent inductee in the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor, as its new head football coach and athletic director.

Gage, a native of Decatur, Texas, led Lewisville High School to Class 5A state championships in 1993 and 1996 and was athletic director for Lewisville ISD from 2003-2006, after which he re-entered coaching at Austin College, a non-scholarship NCAA Division III program in Sherman, Texas.

He coached Austin College to a combined record of 13-17 the past three seasons, but the Kangaroos led their conference in rushing each of those seasons.

“We wanted a quality person who could communicate with parents and motivate kids,” Barbers Hill schools superintendent Greg Poole said in a news release handed out after the vote.

“Furthermore, we sought out a coach who has been the absolute best at what he does. If you want to win a state championship, the first step is hiring a coach that has been there and done that.

“We are honored to have him join our staff and look forward to what he will bring to our Barbers Hill program.”

Poole announced before the motion was made to hire Gage that neither he nor any board members would take questions after the vote.

“We think he’s good,” Poole did allow as he handed out the news release.

Barbers Hill announced in mid-November that it had agreed to buy out the final 18 months on Don Price’s contract as head coach and AD. It was about a month later when the board OK’d the separation agreement and began seeking a replacement.

Gage earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in 1976 and later completed his master’s degree there.

He began his 32-year coaching career at Keller Middle School in 1976, then spent 12 years as an assistant at Lewisville High School before his first head coaching job, at Justin Northwest High School from 1987-90. He was head coach at Lewisville for 12 seasons before stepping up to take on the AD job of a school district that now includes five high schools.

Gage’s high school head coaching record, according to the bio prepared for his Hall of Honor induction last summer, is 132-58-8.

He served on the THSCA Board of Directors from 1999-2003, was the 2003-2004 THSCA President and also coached the THSCA North All-Star football team in the 1995 All-Star game.

He and his wife Stephanie have two daughters: Jessica and Julianne, and one son: James.

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[bh34]

I want to wish our new coach much succuess on his new job!! I will be there pulling for the Blue every Friday and look forward to the new era in the BH athletic program.

[BrenhamFan]

I just wanna wish Barbers Hill good luck with there new coach.  Hope to see you in the playoffs in 2010.

[SETEXFan]

Great hire.  Hope the Hill is ready for the Wishbone.

[MHS32]

[quote name="SETEXFan" post="746064" timestamp="1263903186"]
Great hire.  Hope the Hill is ready for the Wishbone.


[/quote]


That would be 180 degree turn around. Hope we get some backs. I hear there are some in the pipeline.

[PURPLE 4EVER]

GOOD LUCK BH!!!
Hope all works out!

[Guest GCMPats]

Congrats on the new hire. Looks like BH will take on a new "persona" next year. Best of luck.

[BHFAN]

I'm excited!!! Good luck to the new coach can't wait for the season to start ;D ;D

[bh89-2]

Congrats to the new head coach and welcome to BH.  Glad to see us hire a proven leader.  Can't wait till August now.  New coach, new district alignment, man u got to love Texas football.

 

[BoboandBlair]

Holy Smoke!  What a Hire!  This guy can flat out coach and is a coaching legend in the Dallas area.  He won two 5A state titles (93, 96, I believe) with the Lewisville Fighting Farmers, and did it with lesser talent than many of the teams he did it against.  Barbers Hill just got better with the guy.

[bh89-2]

A story I found on the internet about he and his family.  Very sad story and one any parent hopes to not have happen to them. 

Wednesday, May. 20, 2009
A Good Family’s Waking Nightmare
The Lonnquist Notes
I teared up a couple of times as I began to write this piece.

It’s not often in this business we come across genuinely good people. I mean, really good people. Former Northwest football coach and Lewisville football coach and district athletic director Ronnie Gage is one of those.

Throughout the last 18 years, I valued the working relationship I have developed with Gage, also getting to know his wife, Stephanie. I first met Gage in 1991, when I was breaking into the industry and Gage was building the tradition at Lewisville.

Today, the Gage family is dealing with a nightmare that will likely not end well.

Daughter Jessica is battling an inoperable malignant brain tumor that developed last year. What I have learned is that there is not a lot that can be done for her. Ronnie, Stephanie and the family, and Jessica’s husband and his family have been by Jessica’s side in Dallas almost every day.

When I first heard about their tragedy three months ago, I just shook my head. A Web site, www.jessicagage.com, updates how Jessica is holding up in her fight. The latest post was dated April 21, and it discussed how she was not responding to the latest round of chemotherapy that was causing bleeding in her brain.

One of the worst experiences a parent can go through is watching a child suffer through a terrible affliction. This is not the natural order of things. I went through this experience two years ago when my neighbor’s 29-year-old daughter lost her battle with MRSA.

I am a father of children and when you witness this, it scares you. Like any parent, we envision our children’s lives unfolding as they graduate from high school, attend college, marry and give you grandchildren to spoil.

The Gages envisioned this, too. Jessica, who is one of three children, has given them so much. But this evil disease seems to rob you of things. It robs you of smiles, the sense of satisfaction and the sense of completeness.

Your faith and your family are your greatest allies. Yet you don’t ever feel like it’s enough to combat it or feel consoled. The hurt is simply a constant.

I don’t know Jessica, although I met her a couple of times. But I do remember her hugging her daddy shortly after the Fighting Farmers won the 1993 Class 5A state championship over Aldine MacArthur, 43-37 in one of the greatest state championship games in Texas High School Football History.

For those of us who have not been in this position, we can never really know how the Gages are handling this.

Ronnie, who is now the head football coach at Austin College in Sherman, and his family are held in such high regard in Texas football. The support they’re getting is extraordinary. There is a guest sign-in page on the Web site that is now in excess of 60 pages.

On a whim last week, I called the Austin College athletics department to get word to Ronnie that if he was up to talking, then great. If not, then I would not push it. The day I left word, Ronnie called back and left a voice mail for me. We never talked, but that was fine.

Part of me was surprised that Ronnie did call back, in spite of everything. Part of me was not, because that’s the kind of person Ronnie is.

If there are five people that you come across in your lifetime that you hope leave a great impression on you, meet Ronnie Gage. You will meet a man who is passionate about football, but even more passionate about his family and his faith.

Perhaps this time for the Gage family is a message for all of us to refocus on what counts.

There is a metaphorical story about a professor who used rocks, pebbles and sand to illustrate to his class what is important in life. The rocks were the big things, including the family. A rock is a symbol of strength.

That’s what the Ronnie Gage family is like.

Still, I tear up for them.

[EAGLE07]

[quote name="BoboandBlair" post="746100" timestamp="1263910892"]
Holy Smoke!  What a Hire!  This guy can flat out coach and is a coaching legend in the Dallas area.  He won two 5A state titles (93, 96, I believe) with the Lewisville Fighting Farmers, and did it with lesser talent than many of the teams he did it against.  Barbers Hill just got better with the guy.
[/quote]


I could not have said it any better ! Excellent hire. Congrats to Coach Gage. Welcome to Barbers Hill and best of luck.
Great job by the 'hiring' group. Congratulations also to the Barbers Hill kids and community. 

[BHFAN]

I hate to see any family going through that. Prayers to the Gages!


Here is a link to Austin College. You can see the stats. Not a great season, but gives you some Idea things to come.

[url=http://www.austincollege.edu/Category.asp?764]Austin College[/url]

[BringinTheHeat]

From what I understand, not to take away from the tragedy of losing a child, Jessica passed away last year. The article above is outdated. Julianne and James are his surviving children and James is coming with him as offensive coordinator (worked as Hugh Sandifer's OC). Should be exciting and interesting.

GO BH!!!!!!!!!!

[Stranger]

Good luck to Coach Gage, he is a big name in the coaching world.

[BHFAN]

[quote name="BringinTheHeat" post="746170" timestamp="1263916851"]
From what I understand, not to take away from the tragedy of losing a child, Jessica passed away last year. The article above is outdated. Julianne and James are his surviving children and James is coming with him as offensive coordinator (worked as Hugh Sandifer's OC). Should be exciting and interesting.

GO BH!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

I noticed at the Austin College site that there is David Gage, I wonder if that is his brother??

David Gage
Offensive Coordinator

Coach Gage enters his second season as Austin College's offensive coordinator after having spent 16 seasons at Gunter High School, including four seasons as the school’s head coach. In addition to coaching at Gunter, he has also coached at Keller, Victoria Era, Decatur and Chico and is a graduate of Texas Tech University.

[BHFAN]

Youtube Video of Coach Cages Austin College football team for 2009.  Good highlight video

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QTAjKIL3mY]YouTube Video[/url]

[BHFAN]

Man where did all of the drama queens go that were talking about all of the hard times BH would have getting a new coach ??? Is reality starting to set in  ;D With this mans resum'e could they be thinking "ut oh this coach may be better for BH" "how can i dis credit the board now" :-*  Don't worry though you still have 7 months or so before fiction becomes fact.

[Stranger]

BHFan the fact is if this guy does not go 2, 3, or 4 deep in the playoffs The Hill will be searching for a replacement in a few years.  With his resume I can only think of one reason he would take the BH job.  He has spent his entire career in North Texas, and money lured him.  I bet it was not the beautiful landscape of the Mont Belvieu area.  He has a tough job in front of him.  He has to personnel a wishbone offense with kids who know nothing about that type of game.  Finding an option qb and bruising fb will be tough.  I wish BH the best, but I still dont see them as a 3 deep contender, I dont care who's coaching them.

[BHFAN]

[quote name="Stranger" post="746261" timestamp="1263928171"]
BHFan the fact is if this guy does not go 2, 3, or 4 deep in the playoffs The Hill will be searching for a replacement in a few years.  With his resume I can only think of one reason he would take the BH job.  He has spent his entire career in North Texas, and money lured him.  I bet it was not the beautiful landscape of the Mont Belvieu area.  He has a tough job in front of him.  He has to personnel a wishbone offense with kids who know nothing about that type of game.  Finding an option qb and bruising fb will be tough.  I wish BH the best, but I still dont see them as a 3 deep contender, I dont care who's coaching them.
[/quote]

Playoffs will help, but will not be the determining factor IMHO. BH played two teams this year that went 3 and 4 rounds into the playoffs and could have beaten both. If Dayton and Crosby can do it with their personnel I don't know why BH can't play up to that level. Dayton had no super stars this year and Crosby has one Div 1 stud on the team, the difference is coaching. It's fun to beleive that we have no talent so thats why we lose, but I think we will see in the following years that we do have the talent! I garuntee you with this mans experiance he will not come in plug the wishbone in and rotate players in and out of it though the years. The good coaches adjust to there talent to try to get the best out of each year. Oh and we have had an option QB the last nine years the only differnce is there was not option! Run right,left, up the middle ;D Good things are coming to the Hill sit back and watch ;D

Will Coach Gage come in and run us to 3 rounds next year? HECK NO, but in a couple of years it could be possible. I would have never tought PNG would have been so sucessfull in their first year, but they were oustanding (Again a team with no Super stars).

[Stranger]

I dont see why BH did not hire BHFAN, he is such the expert at football.  What will be the determining factor in your opinion?  You have been screaming for playoff success then contradict yourself with that last statement.  You talk about Dayton and Crosby having no superstars, well neither does BH.  But if you ask any coach in the area, they will tell you that Dayton and Crosby have better athletes.  BH has overachieved in the past 10 years.  They have beaten some teams with more talent because of hard work by the staff and kids. 

[bh89-2]

[quote name="Stranger" post="746287" timestamp="1263930462"]
I dont see why BH did not hire BHFAN, he is such the expert at football.  What will be the determining factor in your opinion?  You have been screaming for playoff success then contradict yourself with that last statement.  You talk about Dayton and Crosby having no superstars, well neither does BH.  But if you ask any coach in the area, they will tell you that Dayton and Crosby have better athletes.  BH has overachieved in the past 10 years.  They have beaten some teams with more talent because of hard work by the staff and kids. 
[/quote]

Just let it go man........it's a new age at BH.  Now if BHFAN does get hired, I want to be the mascot....please....LOL

I predict a district championship in 2010, with or without your so called "superstars".   

[JS]

This certainly appears to be a fantastic hire---only time will tell. Good luck to the Hill

[BHFAN]

[quote name="Stranger" post="746287" timestamp="1263930462"]
I dont see why BH did not hire BHFAN, he is such the expert at football.  What will be the determining factor in your opinion?  You have been screaming for playoff success then contradict yourself with that last statement.  You talk about Dayton and Crosby having no superstars, well neither does BH.  But if you ask any coach in the area, they will tell you that Dayton and Crosby have better athletes.  BH has overachieved in the past 10 years.  They have beaten some teams with more talent because of hard work by the staff and kids. 
[/quote]

I applied ,but the board thought they should go outside of the area  ;D Oh yes I do want playoff success but with a new coach you can't expect results right off the bat. Give him 2-3 years to work out the kinks then lets worry about playoff success. I do think however that we will see some quick results due to the talent coming up, just like Price did in the early years. You are correct BH doesn't have a superstar and thats my point either does other teams!!! BH always overacheives at every sport and that is due to the Pride, Tradition, Teachers, Parents and Community! The coaches get these kids for a short period of time during there lives, some make them better while some do not. BH will continue to overachieve! I just hope that the folks that think like you (That we are so un talented) get removed from this program! First thing these kids need is to BELIEVE and it has to be hard with comments that they have no athlete's and everyone is better and only Price could coach them. Give the kids a chance with the right elements in place they can compete!!

Oh and one question for ya

"They have beaten some teams with more talent because of hard work by the staff and kids."

What teams have BH beaten that they were the underdog too? The only one I can think of was Galena Park in 08

[bh89-2]

Have not seen anyone mention the fact former Head Coach of Baytown Lee, Dick Olin is now the Lewisville Head Coach.  Small world I guess.