Former Compass Academy head football coach and athletic director Floyd White knew it would be a difficult decision, but in the end, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to return to his hometown and coach his old high school football team. He said he couldn't go. I played with
On Monday, White was named the new head football coach and athletic director at his alma mater, Pampa High School.
He retired after spending two years coaching at the Class 3A level at Compass Academy in Odessa.
Before he arrived at the Compass (where he played his first season of varsity football in 2020), the Cougars had just one win in both 2020 and 2021.
White coached the Cougars from four to seven consecutive seasons, making the playoffs in both years.
“Ultimately, when you're given the chance to play in your hometown at a young age and then coach in your hometown, it's one of those things that's hard to turn down, because traditionally we're one of the strongest teams in America. area,” White said. “Compass did nothing wrong. It was a good opportunity for me and my family, and I couldn't turn it down from any other standpoint.”
White replaces Cody Robinson, who resigned last month after three seasons with Pampa to become Gilmer's assistant coach.
The Harvesters, who play in Division I District 2-4A, have a 2-8 record from last year.
The team went 5-6 in 2022, but its last winning record was 6-5 in 2021.
2021 was also the last year the Harvesters made it to the state playoffs.
Still, White said he's excited about this new challenge.
“It's a great opportunity,” White said. “It's a new thing. Just like the transition was tough because Compass was in a tough district, it's going to be a tough transition. This is an opportunity to build something again and as a coach I'm going to take that as a coach. It’s about having fun.”
Mr. White wants to know what kind of work he will have to do when he takes over in Pampa.
“The first thing we have to do is get out there and establish a process for how we train, how we do things and what is expected of us,” White said. “These are all things that we have to put in place right away. Children need to understand that we are not here to play pranks. This is not recreational football. . It's time for us to work things out.”
White said there are some things Compass Academy has done that have helped him prepare for his next challenge, and there are some things he won't have to worry about as much, such as the stadium situation.
“For me and the coaches, there were a lot of things we had to do that we wouldn't normally have to deal with, like dealing with stadium situations and learning how to adjust practice schedules and everything else. ” White said. . “Those really helped me because when I first got here it was just me and one other person doing it. Be organized and rely on people and do things outside of your expertise. You have to learn how to depend on people to do that. That in itself prepared me.”
For many years, Compass Academy did not have its own stadium and had to play its home games at various venues within the area, including Ratliff Stadium, Astound Broadband Stadium, and J.M. King Memorial Stadium in Greenwood.
That won't be a concern for the Pampas, which play at Zach Thomas Stadium at Harvester Field.
Coach White will have a larger coaching staff in Pampa, but said he doesn't know how many assistant coaches there will be.
“There are a lot of them,” White said. “I don't know how many there are, but they're a lot bigger than the ones I had at Compass Academy. It's not like there was anything wrong with Compass Academy. We had what we had. make it work in the best way possible.”
Last year, the Cougars had five assistant coaches on staff.
Although leaving was not an easy choice, White is confident Compass Academy will continue to move in the right direction.
“This was one of the most gut-wrenching and difficult decisions I've ever had to make professionally,” White said. “While I hate to leave my kids, I know that the next person who comes through the program will ultimately have a huge impact on our kids. I'm confident that we're going to make sure we get the best coaches possible for those kids. That's something that I can walk away knowing in my heart that those kids are being taken care of. And it makes it a lot easier for me.”
