Sports

Coaches set for new school challenge at Rouse

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Robert Thomas

Hill Country News

Athletics for Rouse High School started as a one-man coaching staff, as Josh Mann was named the school's first-ever coach and coordinator back in February.

Since then, Mann has been busy in laying what he hopes will be a strong foundation for not only football but all sports for the Raiders when the school opens in the fall.

The one-man crew has grown quite a bit over the last three months, with the finishing touches soon to be applied for both boys' and girls' sports at Rouse.

“I wanted to get a good mix of coaches, some new from the junior high level and experienced coaches from high school,” Mann said. “I felt like we got that, and I also got a good group of coaches who are familiar with Leander ISD and our area as well.”

Ten new coaches have joined on at Rouse for several different sports, with hires for swimming, tennis and golf waiting for approval from the school board.

Mann is happy to see the hiring process coming to end, setting up a two-year period to get the athletes at Rouse ready for varsity competition.

“We won't be playing varsity in most sports until we get our first junior class in two years,” he said. “But we will have the chance to compete at the varsity level in our individual sports.”

Nearly half of the recent 10 hires come from LISD, with three of those coming for boys' sports.

Mann will have two assistants in football in Robert Sainz and Tony Cooper, with Cooper also signing on as head wrestling coach.

Cooper is a 14-year coaching veteran who comes from Wichita Falls High, spending the last three years there as offensive coordinator for the football team. Sainz, who will also coach basketball, comes from Pflugerville Connally and helped coach the Cougars to the Class 4A state basketball tournament this year.

The head basketball coach is Shane Krause, who was a hoops assistant at Vista Ridge the last three years.

Paul Cochran will take the reins of the baseball program, coming over from Leander after two years as an assistant. His father is Connie Cochran, the head baseball coach at Cedar Park.

Darrel Knight will head up boys' soccer, with Kelly Thompson getting the nod for cross country and Luke Harrison named as head track coach. Knight coached football and soccer the last two years at Canyon Ridge Middle School, with Harrison coming over from the middle school system in Georgetown ISD.

Thompson already has head coaching experience, as he was the top coach for cross country and track at Houston Lamar before coming to Rouse.

The coaches for girls' sports also have plenty of local flavor and experience, starting with volleyball coach Jacob Thompson. Thompson was the head volleyball coach at Georgetown the last three years.

Former Cedar Park assistant Lori McDonald will coach girls' basketball, helping CP coach Mark Myers guide teams to the playoffs as in three of the last five years.

The last current hire brings plenty of flash to Rouse, as former Team USA softball player Jamie Southern will head the softball program. Southern spent the last two years as a softball assistant at Trinity University, and was a four-year All-American pitcher at Fresno State from 2001-05.

While at Fresno State, Southern was a four-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Pitcher of the Year, was named WAC Female Athlete of the Year in 2005 and was a NCAA Top VIII award-winner in 2006.

“Coach Southern was the kind of hire we just couldn't say no to,” Mann said.

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