ESPN Posted March 6, 2006 Report Posted March 6, 2006 www.panews.com Leopold, Hooks head 2006 Hall of Honor coaching enshrinees Five new names will be added into the Southeast Coaches Hall of Honor this year, but one of the legends is still working at it. West Orange-Stark's Dan Hooks will headline a group of five honorees at the 10th annual Southeast Texas Coaches Association luncheon at noon on Mar. 18 in Beaumont's Elegante Hotel grand ballroom. The four other honorees are recently retired Port Arthur Memorial and Lincoln track coach Leroy Leopold, former West Brook head football coach and long-time Alex Durley assistant Leo Nolan, former Colorado State head coach, University of Texas and Denver Broncos assistant Leon Fuller and deceased Beaumont South Park head basketball coach Jim Anders. One of the state's legendary high school track and field coaches, Port Arthur's Leopold retired last spring after 40 consecutive seasons as head boys track coach in the Port Arthur school district -- 37 at Lincoln and the last three at Memorial. The father of NFL linebacker Bobby Leopold, Leroy coached Memorial to a national high school record in the 800-meter relay at the 2003 state meet, as well as a state record in the 1,600-meter relay for Lincoln at the 1985 state meet. One team state championship, five regional championships and 18 district championships filled Leopold's career, which was concluded at the 94th UIL state meet last May. The most recent in dozens and dozens of Leopold-coached state champions arrived then when senior Titans hurdler Jamaal Charles recorded the nation's fastest times in winning the 110- and 300-meter hurdles The 70-year-old Leopold was named Lincoln's head track coach in 1965 after graduating from the same high school in 1954 and returning to his school as an assistant in 1962. "I love him," Jamaal Charles told The Port Arthur News of Leopold last spring. "I know God loves him. That man is like a father figure." Another ongoing grandfather figure at West Orange-Stark, the 67-year-old Hooks has completed 25 seasons with five visits to at least the state semifinal level, four final appearances and two championship 4A banners in 1986 and 1987. The Mont Belvieu native served as an assistant coach at Channelview, Beaumont French and twice at Lamar University after graduating from Sam Houston State. Along with Leopold, Hooks has coached many outstanding pro and major college athletes, including former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Kevin Smith. Always a noisemaker in the ears of area officials, the extremely competitive Hooks has compiled an outstanding record of 229-61-2. If Port Arthur and Orange have provided distinguished new inductees, Mid County citizens have done the same in Nederland's Leon Fuller. The former captain and all-district standout in the mid-50s under Bum Phillips, likeable Leon devoted 45 years in the fields of coaching and athletic administration. He retired two years ago as Austin Independent School District athletic director. Fuller spanned all levels of football, finishing his coaching days as head coach in the central Texas town of Llano. His National Football League tenure was highlighted by serving as an assistant for the Denver Broncos. Yet Leon's longest and most endearing legacy was devoted to the collegiate level. It started as an MVP and a captain for Paul "Bear" Bryant's Alabama squad. Besides serving as head coach at Colorado State University, Fuller spent two tenures at the University of Texas defensive coordinator. The Nederland native shouldered the same duties at West Texas State, and the Universities of New Mexico and Wyoming. Beaumont is well-represented with two inductees from different schools and sports. Anders coached basketball for 17 years at South Park. His teams won 315 games, including the 4A state championship in 1960, the state's highest classification at that time. He was selected coach of the year in four different seasons. Also a member of Lamar University's Cardinal Hall of Honor, Anders passed away in Sept. 1986 after a six-year battle with cancer. While Anders excelled in basketball, Leo Nolan devoted much of his 37-year coaching career to football and baseball in the Hebert and West Brook communities. A long-time right-hand man for legendary boss Alex Durley, Nolan followed Durley as West Brook's second head football coach after the two collaborated on a memorable run to the Class 5A title in 1982, the Bruins' first UIL season. As offensive coordinator at Hebert from 1975 to 1981, Nolan was instrumental in helping the Panthers win the 1976 Class 3A title in addition to two other state semifinal appearances.
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