Randy Allen (American football)
Encyclopedia
Randy Allen is an American football
coach. He is currently coaching at Highland Park High School
in Dallas, Texas
. With a total record of 303-75-6 Allen is among the winningest active high school football
coaches in Texas
.
A native of Abilene, Texas
, Allen prepped at 5A Cooper High School, a football powerhouse. With Allen at tailback and slotback, Abilene Cooper made it to the 1967 state final against Austin Reagan
at Fort Worth's Amon Carter Stadium, but lost 20-19 in a controversial last-second decision. Upon graduation in 1968, Allen went on to play at Southern Methodist University
in Dallas for coach Hayden Fry
.
Starting his coaching career, Allen became an assistant to Merrill Green at 5A Bryan High School. Green coached Allen at Abilene Cooper. Merrill Green is a Texas High School Football Hall Of Fame coach. He also played football on the Oklahoma Sooners 1950 National Championship team starting at running back. Eight years later, Allen landed his first head coaching job at 3A Ballinger High School, where he successfully turned the Bearcats program around. Ballinger had not had a winning season in five years prior to Allen's arrival, yet he compiled a 44–15–2 record the next five years.
In 1986, Allen was selected to succeed Texas coaching legend Gordon Wood
at 4A Brownwood High School
. Facing enormous expectations, Allen managed to compile a 43–13–2 record in five seasons. In 1991 he choose to return to his alma mater Abilene Cooper, which had gone 1–9 in 1990, causing head coach Larry Peel to resign subsequently. In 1996, Allen guided the Cougars to their first state final appearance since the game he participated in 1967. Abilene Cooper, however, were routed by Austin Westlake, led by quarterback
Drew Brees
, 55-15 at the Texas Stadium
in Dallas.
Leaving Abilene in 1999, Allen became head coach at 4A Highland Park High School in Dallas, one of the most tradition-rich programs in Texas. Under his guidance, the Highland Park Scots had 10+ win seasons every year, except in 2004 (8–2). In 2005, Highland Park went undefeated for the first time in school history, as they won the 4A state title for the first time in 48 years. Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford
, the Scots routed Marshall
59-0 at the Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler
.
On October 14, 2011, Coach Allen became the 10th man in Texas high school football history to coach his teams to 300 wins with Highland Park's 41-27 win over JJ Pearce High School. When asked about the 300th win, Allen said, "I wouldn't have won these 300 games without the steady hand of Bill Foran and the calming presence of Butch Nickleberry.
Allen currently is the second-highest paid high school football coach in Texas, behind Sam Harrell of Ennis High School, who — ironically — is one of his former Brownwood assistants.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He is currently coaching at Highland Park High School
Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)
Highland Park High School is located in University Park, Texas.Highland Park is a part of the Highland Park Independent School District. It serves all of the city of University Park, most of the town of Highland Park, and portions of Dallas.-History:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. With a total record of 303-75-6 Allen is among the winningest active high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
coaches in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
A native of Abilene, Texas
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Allen prepped at 5A Cooper High School, a football powerhouse. With Allen at tailback and slotback, Abilene Cooper made it to the 1967 state final against Austin Reagan
John H. Reagan High School (Austin, Texas)
John H. Reagan High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Austin, Texas. It is part of the Austin Independent School District. Reagan High School opened in 1965 and is named for John Henninger Reagan, a 19th century U.S. Senator from Texas....
at Fort Worth's Amon Carter Stadium, but lost 20-19 in a controversial last-second decision. Upon graduation in 1968, Allen went on to play at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas for coach Hayden Fry
Hayden Fry
John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University , North Texas State University, now the University of North Texas , and the University of Iowa , compiling a career college football record of 232–178–10...
.
Starting his coaching career, Allen became an assistant to Merrill Green at 5A Bryan High School. Green coached Allen at Abilene Cooper. Merrill Green is a Texas High School Football Hall Of Fame coach. He also played football on the Oklahoma Sooners 1950 National Championship team starting at running back. Eight years later, Allen landed his first head coaching job at 3A Ballinger High School, where he successfully turned the Bearcats program around. Ballinger had not had a winning season in five years prior to Allen's arrival, yet he compiled a 44–15–2 record the next five years.
In 1986, Allen was selected to succeed Texas coaching legend Gordon Wood
Gordon Wood (American football coach)
Gordon Lenear Wood was an American high school football coach in Texas. He was a head football coach for forty-three seasons, winning or sharing twenty-five district championships and nine state championships....
at 4A Brownwood High School
Brownwood High School
Brownwood High School is a 3A high school located in Brownwood, Texas . It is part of the Brownwood Independent School District located in central Brown County...
. Facing enormous expectations, Allen managed to compile a 43–13–2 record in five seasons. In 1991 he choose to return to his alma mater Abilene Cooper, which had gone 1–9 in 1990, causing head coach Larry Peel to resign subsequently. In 1996, Allen guided the Cougars to their first state final appearance since the game he participated in 1967. Abilene Cooper, however, were routed by Austin Westlake, led by quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, 55-15 at the Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
in Dallas.
Leaving Abilene in 1999, Allen became head coach at 4A Highland Park High School in Dallas, one of the most tradition-rich programs in Texas. Under his guidance, the Highland Park Scots had 10+ win seasons every year, except in 2004 (8–2). In 2005, Highland Park went undefeated for the first time in school history, as they won the 4A state title for the first time in 48 years. Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford (American football)
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
, the Scots routed Marshall
Marshall High School (Marshall, Texas)
Marshall High School is a public school in Marshall, Texas . It is part of the Marshall Independent School District.Located at 1900 Maverick Drive, the school serves students in grades nine through twelve.-Student demographics:...
59-0 at the Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium in Tyler
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
.
On October 14, 2011, Coach Allen became the 10th man in Texas high school football history to coach his teams to 300 wins with Highland Park's 41-27 win over JJ Pearce High School. When asked about the 300th win, Allen said, "I wouldn't have won these 300 games without the steady hand of Bill Foran and the calming presence of Butch Nickleberry.
Allen currently is the second-highest paid high school football coach in Texas, behind Sam Harrell of Ennis High School, who — ironically — is one of his former Brownwood assistants.