By Stephanie Gross
Sports Writer

This past season the Coppell football team came together more than ever. The leader of this successful program is coach Joe McBride.

Shortly after the playoffs came to an end for the Cowboys, McBride received the first annual Tom Landry Coach of the Year award. Every year there is a high school player selected for a player’s version of this award. This is the first year that a coach has ever received the award. McBride will be the first of many worthy coaches to be the recipient of this prestigious award.

The Tom Landry Coach of the Year is presented by Channel 21 and is given to a coach who has shown success with wins and an overall outstanding season.

“I think that I was chosen based off of our season, we went 11-1 which was really great,” McBride said. “We just had a good season so I also think this award really goes out to my coaching staff and the players as well.”

McBride was nominated along with other high school coaches in the area. Since it is pretty common for coaches to be invited to the player of the year award, it was a nice surprise for McBride to be nominated and chosen for this first time high school coaching award. McBride was announced the winner and accepted the award in the presence of Tom Landry’s family.

“I have spent my whole life looking up to Tom Landry so I was very flattered to receive this award,” McBride said.

Receiving the Tom Landry Coach of the Year award was humbling for McBride. Not only did this award humble him as a coach, but also it made McBride appreciate his team and staff more so than he already did during the season.

“Coach McBride really deserved this award because to us, he is way more than a coach,” junior defensive end Solomon Thomas said. “He is almost like a dad to us as a team. He teaches us right from wrong and knows the game better than anyone that I know. He has really made or football program what it is now.”

McBride thinks this award reflects not only him but also everyone in his program.

“This award was deserved by the entire team,” McBride said. “After everything that happened during this season, we stayed focused. We really stick together as a team and it is so great that our program continues to get noticed in so many different ways.”

With the first annual Tom Landry Coach of the Year award in his hands, McBride sets a high bar for high school coaches that will receive this award in years to come.