Q&A with new Highland Park athletic director Rodney Webb
DALLAS — Earlier this year in June, Rodney Webb took over as Athletic Director for HPISD. We gave him some time to get settled in at the helm of HP sports before asking him for an interview. Now that school is back in session and the football season is in full swing, Coach Webb was very gracious in affording me sometime to ask some questions so that we can get to know him better and hear about his plans for HPISD sports.
Hi Coach! Some of us are familiar with your background as a very successful coach and Athletic Director in the State of Texas. For those of us who are just getting to meet you, can you share your background with us? Where are you from originally?
Rodney Webb: I grew up in Garland, TX.
Married? Kids? Ages?聽
Webb: Married to my wife, Fran, for 31 years. We have a daughter, Gracy, who is 24 and about to finish her Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
How many athletic teams and clubs does HPHS have?
Webb: HPHS currently offers 22 sports. I鈥檓 not sure how many clubs we have, but Field Hockey and Lacrosse are both club sports that thrive at HP.
Do you also manage the sports programs in the middle school?
Webb: Yes sir 鈥� I鈥檓 the Athletic Director for the high school and the middle school.
How does the AD interact with students and players?
Webb: I host our Captain鈥檚 Council each month, which gives me a great opportunity to interact with our athletes. I also make a point of meeting and interacting with our kids at various practices and competitions which I attend.
Will you miss coaching?聽
Webb: Being off the sidelines as a head coach for the first time in 20 years will be bittersweet for me. I look forward to the opportunity to make a broader impact on our programs as an AD, but I will definitely miss certain aspects of being a head coach.
What is the biggest challenge you face in your new role?
Webb: My biggest challenge is going to be finding the balance between assimilating into the rich tradition in HPISD and finding ways to enhance our programs through change.
What were some of the things that enticed you to take the AD job at HPHS?
Webb: I was definitely happy in my role as Head Football Coach at Denton Guyer, and I wasn鈥檛 in the market to become an AD in any other district. But the opportunity to take on this role at HP was extremely unique, and I knew it wasn鈥檛 a job that would come open again anytime soon. This role also allowed us to move back to our hometown of Rockwall, and it gave my wife the opportunity to retire from teaching.
What effect will the elevation to 6A have on the HP sports program overall?
Webb: The difference HP fans can expect from the 6A schools will just be depth of quality. There is great competition at the 5A level, but there are more quality teams top-to-bottom in 6A. I do expect the Scots to continue to have huge success as an athletics program and in the Lone Star Cup standings.
Who are your mentors and/or heroes and why?
Webb: I don鈥檛 have any mentors that are legendary or household names, but they鈥檝e had a huge impact on me and my career. John Roberts and Bill Patterson are both retired now, but each taught me so much about how to get the most out of kids and coaches. David Farris and Steve Baker were two of my high school coaches, and I became a coach because I admired them so much as a teenager.
What are the core values you look for when you are hiring coaches?
Webb: I want to hire coaches who exhibit character, class, a love for kids, and a servant鈥檚 heart.
What are the personality traits that you look to develop in young athletes?
Webb: I want my athletes to learn how to compete the right way 鈥� to win and lose with class. I expect my kids to be honest and to embrace hard work. There are no shortcuts to long-term success on the field and in life.
Do you teach young athletes about life after a playing career ends?
Webb: If we as coaches are doing it right, we鈥檙e teaching our kids about life throughout their competitive athletic careers.
What is/are your favorite thing(s) about Friday evenings in the Fall?
Webb: The most special thing about Friday nights in the Fall is just the electricity in the atmosphere. It鈥檚 a culmination of a football team, band, cheer squad, drill team, and many other groups to show off all the hard work they鈥檝e done!
What can you tell parents and residents that have recently settled in the Park Cities from somewhere else like California or New York about the meaning of sports in Texas?
Webb: The importance of sports in Texas is reflected in our facilities, stadiums, attendance at games, TV coverage, and it doesn鈥檛 take folks from other places to sense that it鈥檚 truly a passion of most Texans.
What are your biggest personal and professional achievements to date?聽 What is it that you have yet to accomplish that is at or near the top of your list?聽
Webb: My proudest achievement is the 28 former players that are currently coaching football and other high school sports in Texas and New Mexico. I鈥檓 proud of being elected the President of the Texas High School Coaches鈥� Association in 2018. It was an amazing honor to represent the 24,000+ coaches in our great state. I鈥檝e had a bunch of wins and deep playoff runs, and I鈥檓 proud of all of that, but I don鈥檛 want it to define my career. I think we should all aspire for a deeper meaning to a successful coaching career.
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