COACHING CAROUSEL UPDATE: Buckner leaves Hirschi, hometown for Naaman Forest

Krataura Buckner was comfortable in her position as Hirschi head girls basketball coach. Perhaps too comfortable.

Buckner decided to step out of her comfort zone when she accepted the same position at Naaman Forest High School in Garland, leaving her hometown to lead a Class 6A program.

“I’ve had some good years at Hirschi. Hirschi has treated me with the utmost respect,” said Buckner, who is  a 1999 graduate of Wichita Falls High. “(Hirschi principal) Doug Albus was great to me. I’ve worked under two great athletic coordinators. Danny Youngs hired me and gave me a chance, and (Antonio) Wiley let me grow and run the girls program.

“I know (coach Lawrence) Johnson would have given me an opportunity to finish it at Hirschi, but I felt it was time to grow at a different school.”

Buckner departs from Hirschi after six seasons, accruing an 84-96 record. The Lady Huskies reached the postseason in each of her seasons and won a district title in 2019. The Lady Huskies went 15-17 last season.

Deciding to leave her hometown was a difficult decision for Buckner.

“It was a tough decision, especially with the five girls who just graduated. They were with me since they were in eighth grade,” Buckner said. “I got into a routine here. My mom is here, and so are friends I grew up with. You get comfortable, and that was one of the things I had to reflect on.

“Do I really want to get out of my comfort zone? That was the hardest thing to decide. I’ll miss my mom and friends, but I’m not too far away.”

Buckner insisted that the impending opening of two new schools in Wichita Falls ISD in 2024 and not having a guaranteed job at one of those schools did not impact her decision.

“It has nothing to do with that. I know people will think it does, but it really doesn’t,” Buckner said. “When those new schools finally open, and if someone were to offer me the opportunity to coach at one, I would possibly come back. But those schools opening did not scare me out of this job.”

One of Naaman Forest’s most significant appeals for Buckner is the chance to coach at the 6A level.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to try,” Buckner said. “You’re going to find great athletes at any school, but I’ve always wanted to coach at a 6A because I want to coach against a Duncanville or Cedar Hill. I want to see where I rank as a coach against the best.”

Buckner inherits a struggling program that hasn’t made a postseason appearance since 2018. The Rangers haven’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2009.

Naaman Forest went 10-19 last season, finishing fifth in District 9-6A. Garland ISD uses a choice system familiar to Buckner, who has seen the same system used in Wichita Falls in the past. She hopes to use it to rebuild the program.

“I want to make Naaman Forest the program that all kids want to go to,” Buckner said. “I think there’s an opportunity to do that.”

REDDING REPLACES MCCAULEY WITH WFHS SOCCER

Patrick McCauley’s resignation as head coach of the Wichita Falls High boys soccer program was one of the spring’s biggest surprises of a busy coaching carousel.

But Kyle Redding being tabbed to take over the program comes as one of the most notable hires in WFISD.

McCauley leaves Old High as the program’s winningest coach, notching a 161-50-34 record in nine seasons. His career win percentage (.657) is also the program’s best.

The Coyotes won six district titles and appeared in the state tournament in 2017 during McCauley’s tenure. They won at least one playoff game in each of his nine seasons. The 2021 team finished the regular season undefeated, suffering its first and only loss in the regional quarterfinals.

Redding is well known in the Wichita Falls soccer circles, having served as an assistant coach with the Hirschi boys and Midwestern State women’s programs. He brings decades of experience coaching at the high school, college and club levels.

RIDER FILLS VACANCIES WITH PROMOTIONS

Rider athletic coordinator Marc Bindel endured the busiest hiring process of any school in the area this spring, needing to fill five head coaching vacancies.

While Bindel is still looking for a volleyball coach to replace Alysha Humpert, he opted to fill the other four vacancies with in-house candidates.

“When it came down to it, I thought we had strong candidates already in house,” Bindel said. “We interviewed some candidates from outside the program, but I felt comfortable promoting assistants into head coaching positions.”

Among the new hires are Christian Harley, who takes over the boys basketball program from Cliff McGuire, and Todd Chamberlain, inheriting the girls basketball program from Kendall Webb.

Harley spent one season as an assistant under McGuire. Chamberlain is a longtime Rider assistant who has coached on both the boys and girls side.

The greatest softball player in Rider history, Abby (Donnell) Bates decided to forego her high school coaching career, turning the program over to Kristen Borton.

Finally, Ross Dillard is replacing Kayla Brown as the head girls track coach. Dillard has been the defensive coordinator of the Rider football team and an assistant track coach for several years.

NOTABLE ASSISTANT COACHING HIRES

Head coaches aren’t the only ones making headlines.

Among the notable assistant coaches added to area staffs is Rider legend Eric Ward.

Ward was hired as a linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Hirschi. After an impressive career at Rider, Ward became one of the most prolific receivers in Texas Tech history.

Ward has previously been an assistant coach at Rider, and most recently served as offensive coordinator at Burkburnett in 2020.

Another coach making the move home is Wes Johnson, who returned to Windthorst as a baseball and football assistant. Johnson had previously been head baseball coach at Archer City before leaving for the same position in Muenster. He served as Muenster’s softball coach last season, filling a need for the school district.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Head coaching changes for all sports in Wichita Falls area