Football coach Antonio Wiley
Coppell coach Antonio Wiley has been a coach for 16 years and has been in athletics for all of his life. As a professional in football, he has made the playoffs 12 times. Starting his third year with Coppell, he has taken it to the playoffs the last two seasons and has built a culture in the locker room that has not been seen in Coppell for a while. Along with his profound knowledge in football, he put Coppell on the map for athletics, and talks about how it tries to build a brotherhood on top of a winning team.
What does Coppell football mean to you?
Coppell football has truly been a blessing. I am lucky to have the opportunity to coach these young men who are ready to get to work at all times. It also means that I get to push them to the limits and build a brotherhood that they will remember for the rest of their lives. It also means representing this team and this school in the best way possible, which is to put everything on the line and win. As Cowboys, I expect them to go out and work their hardest. We have to let the work that we do in practice show on the field.
What do you hope to accomplish as the head football coach?
We want to play for that chip in December and win it. I think that is the biggest thing any coach wants. We want to win district, play through Thanksgiving and then play in December. More importantly, I want to see these guys build themselves. Build their character, confidence and show the dedication they have out on the field.
Tennis coach Alyssa Noonan
Coppell coach Alyssa Noonan continues her second year as she has come from an extensive athletic background as she was a tennis player her whole life. Being district coach of the year at George Ranch High School, she brings multiple playoff qualifying experiences under her belt. Running as the fourth head coach in five years, Noonan has had a rough time building the Coppell culture back, making cuts and working harder than before to continue the tennis winning streak that it has. With the extensive work that she has put in, Noonan has also had to work through budget cuts and enduring a hard task with the team.
What does Coppell tennis mean to you?
Being head coach for this Coppell team has been a dream come true for me. It is not only an opportunity to grow the team, but to put our brand out there. Having even more young players new to the program, it feels like their program and everyone is on board with the expectations and I truly feel like every player is proud to be here and they feel special to be a part of this team.
What do you hope to accomplish as the head tennis coach?
I am their fourth head coach in four years, so that is tough for the seniors. Knowing that they are ready to graduate, they are looking forward to post-high school tennis and another head coach is stepping in. I knew I could not break every little bad habit because I was just stepping into the role. A part of that came with cuts and rules. Having a more manageable number of players out here has definitely benefited the players at the top of our lineup because we are able to give them more individualized support. Most of all, I want to make these hard workers the best version of themselves and win state.
Cross country coach Landon Wren
Being a 22 year experienced coach, Coppell coach Landon Wren has been coaching cross country for four years at Coppell. Placing third place at state one season, Wren has been a pivotal point of the Coppell cross country team. Not only has he brought experience to the program, but he has improved the program to almost 100 kids. Wren has also played four sports for most of his life showing his lifelong experience. With his knowledge on the sport, he still tries to instill the qualities of being a runner for Coppell including discipline and respect.
What does Coppell cross country mean to you?
These guys work their tails off every day. It means so much to them and it means so much to me. I love that I have almost a hundred dedicated runners ready to work every day. Even during the hot and cold they stay committed to the program and that dedication is what cross country means to me. I kept track of 48 workouts this summer and with a catalog and I told them to take vacations but they still continued to show up. But a lot of these kids, even when they are on vacations, are still doing their workouts. That is what it means to me. It is about instilling the ability to have that self-discipline and motivation even when no one else is working with you.
What do you hope to accomplish as the head cross country coach?
Helping them reach their goals is the biggest thing to me. As a high school, bringing wins and championships boasts our program and allows us to bring more attention, but for me, it is about the future of these kids. They work hard in the classroom and on the field, and I just want to help them find what it means to be in control of their own future. Just like in the summer, if you start in July and you have not been running up to that point then you are not gonna be better than everyone, ready to make an impact. My hope is that these guys see what they need to work on within themselves and attack their goals, aspirations and future with the same mindset.
Volleyball coach Robyn Ross
As a 16 year coach, Robyn Ross has taken her talents from the United States Air Force Academy Prep and previously attended Coppell High School as a student. Being reunited with Coppell has made her remember many memories including six sports. As a qualified coach, she won three state championships with Nansemond Suffolk Academy and she intends to bring not on the winning culture, but also the disciplined mindset and build the volleyball team from the freshmen up.
What does Coppell volleyball mean to you?
It definitely is something that I had to work hard for. Being able to coach these girls has been truly eye-opening and a great opportunity to build my skills, build their ethics and build their confidence. We are looking forward to building this team from the basics up to the most difficult things because as a coach we need to instill work ethic and show these girls what it takes to reach the top.
What do you hope to accomplish as the head volleyball coach?
The big key this year that is hopefully going to be a great story is how young this team is. There is only one returning senior that is starting on varsity. The majority of the workload is coming from sophomores and juniors, which is promising for the future. We want to win as badly as everyone else and even worse. It is the environment that we are used to and we will not back down from the challenge. We are preparing this year with team chemistry and that is what we are going to work on with a smaller team to be able to fill all the holes in our defense.
Sports photography editor Kayla Nguyen contributed to this report.
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