By Marcus Krum
Staff Writer
@marcuskrum
In high school sports, new opportunities are constantly arising for coaches and for teams. For both the Coppell football program and for offensive coordinator Michael Odle, a new chapter in their lives has just begun.
Odle has decided to take another step in his career and end his tenure at Coppell. He has been in the program for the last three years.
“It is just a time for me to explore new options and move on in my career,” Odle said. “Coppell has been awesome. It has opened up many doors for me. The kids and the coaching staff and the community have been a blessing to me. It is just an opportunity for me to move on.”
On where his next coaching job will be, Odle has “not completely made that decision yet”. In the past years, the Coppell football program has had tremendous success on the offensive side of the ball, including last year, when they scored 30 points in nine out of its 11 games. Odle’s offense was also a key component of the Cowboys’ 2012 season, where they went 11-1 and handed Allen a 27-24 defeat, the Eagles’ last loss in the past three seasons.
“Coach Odle has done a great job since he’s been here,” head coach Mike DeWitt said. “Whoever comes in has big shoes to fill. We hope that we can continue to grow and continue to be successful on the offensive side of the ball.”
Even with a new offensive coordinator, the outlook for next year’s team is bright. Juniors wide receivers Josh Fink and Obi Obialo, running back Brandon Rice and quarterback Myles Paschall are all returning varsity players on offensel.
“The system change will depend on the new [offensive coordinator],” Fink said. “We have the ability to air it out but at the same time take pride in our running game.”
The lack of an offensive coordinator is not going to prevent the Cowboys offense from continuing to put in work this off-season.
“Over the course of the off-season we just need to focus and work hard as a team. The decisions off the field will take care of themselves,” Fink said. “As individual players we need to get stronger and faster to prepare for the season.”
No matter where Odle goes, he is sure to have an immediate impact on the offense of the team where he is coaching. However, for him, it is not all about the achievement of the team.
“I coach for kids. It’s all about kids. I think when you reach kids on a [personal] level, when you love them and care about them, its not what you’re doing, but why you’re doing it,” Odle said. “For me, the why is the relationships with the kids.”
This attitude towards his players is what has brought him to be well-liked by everyone around him. In his three years here, he has gained a great reputation in both his coaching job and his life.
“He’s a great coach, obviously, but he’s also a great man,” DeWitt said. “We’re going to miss him. He’s going to be successful in his future endeavors.”
