Famous Danaher retiring soon after 51-year coaching occupation

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Legendary Calallen mentor Phil Danaher has introduced his retirement as the Wildcats’ head mentor, ending a 48-time head-coaching vocation that produced him the winningest coach in Texas superior-school football historical past.

Danaher, who turned 73 on Nov. 23, built the announcement shortly after viewing members of the group late Monday early morning.

“I am just wore out so I felt like it was time to consider a crack and get away from it for awhile,” Danaher stated. “I had a fantastic run and I have genuinely relished my time at Calallen. It truly is a extremely particular place and I adore it listed here and I have been blessed with fantastic coaches.”

Danaher’s retirement is coming as he claims he’s in the early phases of dementia.

“It truly is not normally consistent (memory reduction) for me,” he explained. “It improvements every single after in a while, is dependent on how a great deal I have been doing the job. You will find a great deal extra to it than when individuals say you have dementia.”

The Wildcats claimed 24 district championships for the duration of Danaher’s vocation, the most current 1 coming very last month.

Danaher was born in Missouri but moved to South Texas as a boy. He played higher university soccer at Harlingen High University, wherever he graduated in 1967.

He acquired a school scholarship present from Angelo Condition and was a 3-12 months member of the Rams’ group as a quarterback. He gained a Bachelor of Science diploma in actual physical training in August 1971 and began his coaching career as an assistant at Class 5A Edison Large School in San Antonio.

His head coaching job began in 1974 at Class 2A Dilley. The Wolves received their initially district championship in much more than a ten years in his to start with period there as regional co-championns. He invested four yrs there ahead of shifting to Course 3A Hamshire-Fannett the place he coached for six seasons, winning a few district titles and advancing to the regional finals twice for the Longhorns.

His tenure at Calallen, a Class 4A faculty at the time, commenced in 1984. When he arrived the Wildcats experienced not made the point out playoffs in 28 seasons. The Wildcats missed the playoffs in his first period there and then have manufactured the playoffs for the next 37 seasons – the longest present-day active playoff streak of any Texas substantial-school program.

Calallen superior to the state semifinals seven situations and two state championship game titles less than Danaher. And beginning in 1988, Calallen won at minimum 10 game titles for a point out-file 16 consecutive seasons. That was twice the former report set up at Yates Significant Faculty in Houston in the 1960s.

Danaher became the winningest coach in Texas high-school football background, breaking G.A. Moore’s job report of 426 wins on Nov. 3, 2016, when the Wildcats defeated Flour Bluff, 31-7.

His final crew in 2021 completed 10-2. advancing to the next round of the playoffs just before getting rid of to Fredericksburg, 14-10.

Two of Danaher’s sons played for him at Calallen.

Wes was a running again at Calallen from 1992-95, rushing for 8,855 yards which was at the time the 2nd-most yards in point out history behind only Ken Hall.

Older son Cody was quarterback for the Wildcats and later went on to participate in at the College of Texas from 1993-96.

Danaher designs to have knee replacement surgical procedures in the next many months. But he says staying absent from his players will be the toughest aspect of providing up coaching.

“I will really miss the young ones, that’s why I have coached for so extensive,” Danaher mentioned. “My dad died in a motor vehicle wreck when I was 3 so I know what it’s like not to have a dad growing up.

“Not only have I required to mentor but extra importantly I wanted to be a mentor to my gamers too. That’s what I will pass up the most.”

We will have additional on this breaking tale as we study about it.