Dear BLR Families & Friends:

A few weeks ago, I announced that our current Bishop Louis Reicher athletic director and head football coach has decided to transition to new opportunities and pass the baton to the next generation of athletic leadership.

Since then, our school admin team – with support of dedicated and generous leaders in our BLR Community – has been assembling a plan for athletics renewal in the Bishop Reicher tradition dedicated to the formation of young men and women in character, sportsmanship, and leadership motivated by personal excellence and sense of Catholic mission.

In light of this effort, I’d like to announce several decisions and initiatives that I hope will be welcome news for our BLR community.

11-Man Football

First, let’s put to rest the decision surrounding football for the upcoming fall season. BLR will continue our program of 11-man football. Coach Overshown has already assembled a schedule of games, and BLR is prepared to support the continuation of this program under a new AD and new head coach.

Interim Athletic Director

Taking over the tasks of AD requires someone with management, mentoring, and planning skills who also loves opportunities that shape a whole person, who loves seeing our kids excel at sports and in the classroom.

We are excited to announce that Coach Gary Hall, who joined our staff at the beginning of this school year, has accepted our invitation to take on the office of Interim Athletic Director.

Gary comes to Bishop Reicher with an incredible resume. This George Mason University grad has worked for 36 years as a teacher and coach in physical education and athletics with 33 of those years as boys varsity basketball coach. He has 14 district championships and has mentored 38 players who made it into collegiate athletics. In 2020 he was honored by being selected to coach in the MacDonalds prestigious All-American Game.

Role Call Consulting: We Welcome Tricia Roos

To lead our process of renewal in athletics BLR is partnering with professional educational consultant Tricia Roos, President of Role Call Consulting.

For 16 years, Tricia has served as a Director of Admissions and as a 5-time state championship head volleyball coach at the largest co-ed Catholic school in Texas, and she knows both the enrollment side and athletic side of private schools. Her first job during and after college was as a volleyball and basketball coach at Bishop Reicher from 2001-2004, so she is excited to get back on a very familiar campus and help build and restructure the athletic program. Tricia also has experience in branding, marketing and communicating effectively with prospective students and families to create a welcoming environment that engages and attracts mission-driven students.

Role Call Consulting includes the following objectives:

• Create and oversee an Athletic Task Force Committee that assists in the vision for the new athletic department.
• Create and conduct a survey to all parents of athletes in the high school to gauge the areas that need the most immediate attention and improvement and those that are doing well.
• Create a job description for the Athletic Director that showcases the skills and talents it takes to run a successful athletic department in a Catholic school environment.
• Filter and review potential candidates for the position and select the top candidates for the position to be interviewed.
• Create a handbook for coaches as well as one for athletes and parents to be signed and reviewed upon acceptance of a job or position on a team.
• Provide a ½ day training for all athletic coaches before the start of the 2023-24 school year on the Bishop Reicher campus (or an off-campus retreat if deemed necessary by the school President).

Athletics Task Force

Taking this opportunity of transition, I have assembled an Athletics Task Force to involve key leaders and supporters of Bishop Louis Reicher’s athletics program to review fundamentals and to help set a solid foundation for our future in athletics.

A program evaluation will cover several areas:

• Our mission of athletics and its relation to our mission in academics and faith formation,
• Engaging best practices for scheduling, mentoring, coaching, and communicating,
• The structure and place of intramurals in our program with goals aligned to junior high and high school sports,
• Reviewing and clarifying policies that commit us to responsible budgeting and financial integrity,
• Reviewing and clarifying policies for student participation in sports while bringing clarity to areas of ambiguity,
• Promoting and welcoming new students in ways consistent with school and TAPPS policies,
• Onboarding new coaches with whom we partner in executing our school’s Catholic and athletic mission, and
• Guiding our families and community in modeling high standards and best practice for fan participation in settings that never fail to evoke excitement, energy, and emotion.

Task Force Members

• Dr. Michael Pennell, BLR’s Head of School. Over 25 years in Catholic school leadership and post bachelor’s degrees from the University of Dallas. A 2014 recipient of the US Department of Education’s National Blue-Ribbon Award for Excellent High Performing Schools.
• Mr. Gary Hall, Interim Athletic Director, College Counsellor, Head Varsity Basketball Coach, with 33 years as head basketball coach, over 500 career wins, and proven mentoring that brings players to success in collegiate athletics.
• Dr. Lane Wakefield (BR Class of ‘06) Clinical Assistant Professor of Marketing at Baylor University, published author and expert on partnership research at the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.
• Commander Michael B. Hampton (BR Class of ‘05) Munitions/Aircraft Maintenance Officer with the United States Air Force. Michael is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and has an MBA in business analytics from OSU.
• Mrs. Ashley Ward, Assistant Principal of Lower School, recently recognized by the Diocese of Austin as a 15-year teacher at BLR and St. Louis Catholic School and a 2023 Saints and Scholars Award recipient. Parent of two Reicher grads – both college athletes – and of son Tyler (Class of ’23) who just signed with Texas Lutheran to play college football.
• Mr. Tim Condon, Economic Development Site Selection and Project Consulting for The Condon Group. Tim has more than 25 years experience in financial planning and analysis, strategic planning, human resource management, and organizational development. Son John is a rising 9th grader at BLR.
• Mr. Jaylon Ross, coaches BLR varsity baseball, high school football, and head of our intramural program. He has a bachelors in criminal justice with a focus on homeland security. As a college student, Jaylon won the Southlake conference baseball championship (2013). He joined BLR’s coaching staff and earned Coach of the year in 2022. Coach Ross’s baseball team was division 4 district 3 district champions, Division 4 regional champions, and state semi-finalists.
• Mr. Reggie Miller is a Certified Praesidium Guardian and currently chairs the Baylor University Youth Protection Committee, serves on the Higher Education Oversight Committee for Youth Protection, and serves on the McLennan County Child Welfare Board. He is a graduate of Baylor University with a bachelor’s in Communications.
• Mr. Donald Dwyer is owner of Get Noticed Solutions products suppliers. He is a parent of three Reicher graduates, former Booster Club Vice-President and former School Advisory Board Member. Donald supported Coach Hall this school year as a volunteer assistant coach of the varsity boys basketball team.

We are excited about this renewal opportunity for Bishop Louis Reicher Athletics and grateful for the incredible contributions that are being made by our volunteers, coaches, and families who will have a chance to contribute to this process.

Please continue to keep our school in your prayers this Lent! Go Cougs!

In Christ,

M. E. Pennell, MA, Ph.D.
Head of School, Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic School