Randy Allen (American football)

Randy Allen (born 1950) is an American football coach. He is the current head coach at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. With a total record of 401-88-6 (as of 11/12/2019) Allen is the 2nd winningest active high school football coach in Texas.[1][2][3]

Randy Allen
Biographical details
Born1950 (age 69–70)
Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
1969-1972SMU
Position(s)Tailback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1973-1980Bryan HS (Assist.)
1981-1985Ballinger HS
1986-1990Brownwood HS
1991-1998Abilene Cooper HS
1999–presentHighland Park HS
Head coaching record
Overall401-88-6 (as of 11/12/2019)

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 G. Carter Stadium, but lost 20-19 in a controversial last-second decision.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9]

On October 14, 2011, 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.

In January 2014, Allen was chosen as the recipient of the 2013 Grant Teaff Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lifetime Achievement Award, joining such coaching greats as Tony Dungy and Bobby Bowden.[10]

The Highland Park Scots became the first Texas High School football team to win 800 games with a 31-24 victory over Denton Ryan at AT&T Stadium in the Texas State Semi-Finals on December 10, 2016.

In 2016, Allen led the Scots to their second state title during his tenure, winning the Division I 5A championship[11] against Temple, Texas, 16-7. Allen was subsequently nominated for the Don Shula Award by the Dallas Cowboys.[12] He was named the Don Shula National Coach of the Year for 2016.[13]

In 2017, Randy Allen was selected as an SMU Distinguished Alumnus.[14]

In 2017, Allen led Highland Park to its fifth state championship and the third during his tenure, in an epic win against Manvel High School, 53-49. He announced his retirement in the spring of 2018 thereafter, but three weeks later came out of retirement.

In 2018, Allen led Highland Park to its sixth state championship and fourth title during his tenure. HP beat first year program Shadow Creek High School 27-17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

During a press conference after the game, Allen said that he would coach the team in 2019.

As of the end of 2018, Allen has lost 28 games at Highland Park in the past 20 seasons.

Coach Allen has the 3rd most wins of any Texas High School coach in history.

References
  1. Legendary Highland Park football coach Randy Allen becomes the third to win 400 games
  2. Dave Campbell's Texas Football: All-time coaching records
  3. "Dallas Highland Park Head Coach Randy Allen Gets 350th Win". Lone Star Gridiron. 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  4. Cabarrouy, Gabriel (2007-12-19). "Highland Park's growing legend". Dallas Morning News.
  5. "Ballinger coach to succeed Gordon Wood". Dallas Morning News. 1986-01-12.
  6. "Allen leaves Brownwood for Abilene Cooper job". San Antonio Express-News. 1990-12-12.
  7. Hill, Clarence (1996-12-22). "Austin Westlake trounces error-prone Abilene Cooper". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  8. McKay, Matt (1999-06-16). "Allen settles into new role at HP". Dallas Morning News.
  9. Blackistone, Kevin (2005-12-15). "Great Scots leave no doubt". Dallas Morning News.
  10. Seward, Mickey. "Randy Allen Named Grant Teaff Lifetime Achievement Award Winner". www.fca.org. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  11. "Highland Park notebook: How the Scots used an elite defense to slow Temple in state title win". SportsDayHS. 2016-12-17. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  12. "Highland Park coach Randy Allen nominated by Cowboys for NFL High School Coach of Year". SportsDayHS. 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  13. "Randy Allen of Highland Park (Texas) wins Don Shula coach of the year honor". USA Today High School Sports. 2017-01-30. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  14. "SMU To Honor 2017 Distinguished Alumni, Emerging Leader - SMU Magazine". blog.smu.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
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