Tag Archives: Athletic Coaches

Teachers who are also athletes and/or coaches.

Florida School Shooting: Mourning the Loss of Three Chalkboard Heroes

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Once again our nation mourns the tragic loss of life in a school shooting which occurred two days ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This most recent shooting brings to national attention three exceptionally courageous chalkboard heroes who were killed while attempting to protect their students from the gunman, a former student described as mentally ill who was expelled from the school last February.

Scott Beigel

Among the slain is geography teacher and Cross Country Coach Scott Beigel, age 35. Student Kelsey Friend remembers her teacher with great respect. “Mr. Beigel was my hero and he still will forever be my hero,” said the grieving teen. “I will never forget the actions that he took for me and for fellow students in the classroom. I am alive today because of him.”

Chris Hixon

Also killed in the attack was Athletic Director and Wrestling Coach Chris Hixon, age 49. Known for his generosity to students, he would give them rides or lunch money and, if they needed it, welcome them into his home, remembered his wife, Debra Hixon. “He just loved being around kids and giving back to the community,” she said. Also a United States veteran, Chris served his country as a Naval Reservist and was deployed to Iraq in 2007.

Aaron Feis

The third chalkboard champion who perished was Assistant Football Coach Aaron Feis, age 37. An alumnus of Stoneman Douglas High School, Aaron had been a football player when he was a student, and in 2002 he returned to the campus to serve as a coach. Witnesses say Aaron shielded students with his own body, and was hit by oncoming bullets which caused his fatal wounds. “He died the same way he lived –he put himself second,” expressed football program spokesperson Denis Lehtio. “He was a very kind soul, a very nice man. He died a hero.” Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel concurred. “The kids in this community loved him. They adored him. He was one of the greatest people I knew. He was a phenomenal man,” said the sheriff.

To view CNN’s story about all 17 victims of the shooting, click on CNN: These Are the Victims. You can also read the story at Times: These are the Victims.

Rod Paige: from classroom teacher to US Superintendent of Schools

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I love to share stories about talented educators who have also served successfully in the political arena. Today’s story is about Rod Paige, the first African American to serve as the US Secretary of Education.

Rod was born Roderick Raynor Paige on June 17, 1933 in Monticello, Mississippi, the oldest of five children. His father, Raynor Paige, was a public school principal, and his mother, Sophie Paige, was a public school librarian. After his high school graduation in 1951, Rod earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned both his master’s (1962) and doctorate degrees (1980) from Indiana University at Bloomington. Rod is also a veteran, having served as a medical corpsman in the US Navy from 1955-1957.

After completing his military service, Rod accepted his first teaching position when he went to work as a health and physical education teacher at Hinds Agriculture High School in Utica, Mississippi. He taught there and coached football from 1957-1963. From 1971 to 1984, Rod served as the head coach and athletic director for Texas Southern University.

In 1980, Rod accepted a position as a professor at Texas Southern University, where he taught until 1984. While there, he became the Dean of the College of Education, a position he held until 1994. During this time, probably his greatest achievement was the establishment of the university’s Center for Excellence in Urban Education, a research facility focusing on issues related to instruction and management in urban school systems. During this time, Inside Houston Magazine named the former classroom teacher as one of “Houston’s 25 most powerful people” in guiding the city’s growth and prosperity. In 2001, Rod was honored as National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

Rod’s next job was as the superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in 1994. While there, Rod earned a reputation for outstanding leadership skills and innovative reforms. His professional goals were to focus on best instructional strategies, accountability at all levels, and developing of a core curriculum. Next, Rod returned to Texas Southern University, where he served as the Dean of the College of Education.

In 2001, Rod was named by President George W. Bush to be the seventh US Secretary of Education, a post he held until 2005. The major push in education during Rod’s tenure was the controversial No Child Left Behind legislation.

After leaving the Education Department, Rod became a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where he helped fashion public policy. Recently, Rod has served as the interim president of his alma mater, Jackson State University in Mississippi.

To read more about this chalkboard champion, you can read Rod’s biography at the US Department of Education.

Physical Education Teacher and Olympic Athlete Dick Ault

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There are many examples of fine educators who have distinguished themselves in the world of sports. Such is the case with Dick Ault, a high school physical education teacher who competed in the 1948 Olympics.

Richard “Dick” Francis Ault was born on December 10, 1925, in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, the son of the Herbert and Madeline (Dowling) Ault. After his graduation from Roosevelt High School in his home town, Dick attended the University of Missouri from 1946 to 1949. While there, he won the Big 6 title in the 220-yard low hurdles in both 1946 and 1947. In the seasons that followed, he garnered the Big 7 title in the same event in 1948 and 1949. He was also named the conference champion in the 440-yard dash in 1947 and 1949. In 1948, Dick competed in the London Olympic Games, finishing 4th in the 400-meter dash. In 1949, the former Olympic athlete competed in Oslo, Norway, where tied the world record in the 440-yard dash.

In 1950, Dick accepted a position as a teacher and coach at Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Illinois. While there, he led his cross country students to the state championship. In 1967, Dick was hired to be a physical education professor at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. There he coached several sports, including cross country, track, swimming, and golf. After a career spanning 29 years, he retired in 1996.

This chalkboard champion passed away from complications from diabetes at the age of 81 on July 16, 2007, in Jefferson City, Cole County, Missouri. For his outstanding achievements, Dick has earned many honors. He was inducted into the Missouri Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame (1976), the University of Missouri Hall of Fame (1991), the Missouri State Sports Hall of Fame (1993), and the National Sports Hall Of Fame in Washington, DC (1999).

To read more about this amazing educator and athlete, click on this link: Dick Ault Obituary.

Former high school coach Mark Trakh now leads USC women’s basketball team

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There are many examples of classroom teachers who have also shared their considerable talents as athletic coaches. This is the case with Mark Ozeir Trakh, a former high school English teacher who currently serves as the women’s head basketball coach for the University of Southern Califonia (USC).

Mark was born May 31, 1955, in Amman, Jordan. When he was only four years old, his family immigrated to the United Sates and settled in the northeast part of the country. After he graduated from Lakeland Regional High School in Wanaque, New Jersey, Mark enrolled in Fairleigh Dickinson University. Upon moving to California in 1977, Mark enrolled first at Fullerton College, where he majored in journalism, and then in 1981 he earned his teaching credential at California State University, Long Beach.

Even before earning his teaching credential, Mark began his career as a stellar basketball coach. While still in high school, he coached junior high and youth basketball. He coached boys sophomore basketball at Western High School in Anaheim from 1979-1980. After earning his degree and credential, he accepted a position at Brea Olinda High School in Brea. He worked there as an English teacher and girls varsity basketball coach from 1980-1993. Inheriting a program that had won only four games in the previous two seasons, Mark led the team to a 354–45 overall record. During this time his girls garnered four state titles (1989, 1991, 1992, and 1993), six CIF Southern Section Championships, and twelve Orange League crowns. During his tenure there Mark was honored as a California State High School Coach of the Year. He is also a member of both the City of Brea Athletic Hall of Fame and the Southern California High School Basketball Coaches’ Hall of Fame.

Mark currently serves as the head coach for women’s basketball at the USC, after stints as a coach at Pepperdine (1993-2004), USC (2004-2009), and New Mexico State (2011-2017).

To learn more about this amazing Chalkboard Champion, click on this link: Mark Trakh.

Chalkboard Champion Tevester Anderson: High school biology teacher and basketball coach

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Often talented high school coaches become accomplished college-level coaches. This is certainly the case with Tevester Anderson, who spent two decades as a high school biology teacher and basketball coach and 16 years as an assistant coach at the college level before landing his first position as a Division 1 Head Coach at the age of 61.

Tevester was born February 25, 1937, in Canton, Mississippi. In 1962, he earned his bachelor’s degree in pre-medicine from Arkansas AM & N University, now known as Arkansas at Pine Bluff. In 1971, he completed the requirements for his master’s degree in biological science from North Carolina AT&T State University.

Tevester decided against a career in medicine and instead accepted a position teaching biology and coaching basketball at Canton High School, where he worked from 1962 to 1971. From 1971 to 1980 he taught at Fulton High School. As a high school coach, he was a pioneer in helping integrate high 
school sports. “I learned you can save just as many lives as a 
coach and a teacher as you can as a doctor,” he once said.

Later, Tevester worked as an Assistant Coach at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, as an Associate Coach at the University of Georgia, in Atlanta, Georgia, and, finally, as a Head Coach at both Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, and Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. During his time as Head Coach at Murray State, Tevester led his team to an overall record of 103-52 with two Ohio Valley Conference titles and two appearances in the NCAA Tournament. During his ten-year tenure at Jackson, Tevester led the Tigers to an overall record of 149-170.

This chalkboard champion retired in June, 2013. “We sincerely thank Coach Anderson for his contributions to Jackson State University,” commented Vivian Fuller, acting Athletic Director for JSU. “He is truly a professional in collegiate athletics.”