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 435-94-6 (as of 12/1/2021[1]) Allen is the #1 winningest active high school football coach in Texas.[2][3][4]

Randy Allen
Biographical details
Born1950 (age 72–73)
Abilene, Texas, U.S.
Alma materSouthern Methodist University
Playing career
1969–1972SMU
Position(s)Tailback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1973–1980Bryan (Assist.)
1981–1985Ballinger
1986–1990Brownwood
1991–1998Abilene Cooper
1999–presentHighland Park
Head coaching record
Overall435–94–6 (as of 08/16/2023)

Playing career

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.[5] Upon graduation in 1968, Allen went on to play at Southern Methodist University in Dallas for coach Hayden Fry.

Coaching career

Allen's first coaching was at Bryan High School as an assistant under his former high school football coach, Merrill Green. Eight years later, Allen landed his first head coaching job at Ballinger High School. Ballinger had not had a winning season in five years prior to Allen's arrival. The Bearcats compiled a 44–15–2 record under Allen the following five years.

In 1986, Allen was selected to succeed Gordon Wood at Brownwood High School.[6] Facing enormous expectations, Allen managed to compile a 43–13–2 record in five seasons. In 1991, he chose to return to his alma mater Abilene Cooper, which had gone 1–9 in 1990.[7] In 1996, Allen guided the Cougars to their first state final appearance since 1967——a game in which Allen played in. Abilene Cooper lost to Austin Westlake, which was led by quarterback Drew Brees, 55-15.[8]

Leaving Abilene in 1999, Allen became head coach at Highland Park High School in Dallas.[9] With Allen as head coach, Highland Park had 10+ win seasons every year, except in 2004 when they finished 8-2. In 2005, Highland Park went undefeated for the first time in school history. They won the 4A state title for the first time in 48 years. Led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Scots defeated Marshall 59-0.[10]

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.

Highland Park became the first Texas high school football team to win 800 games with a 31-24 victory over Denton Ryan 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 AAAAA Division I Championship[11] 16-7 against Temple High School. Allen was named the Don Shula National Coach of the Year for 2016.[12]

In 2017, Allen led Highland Park to its fifth state championship and the third during his tenure, in a win against Manvel High School, 53-49. He announced his retirement in the spring of 2018 thereafter. He rescinded his retirement only three weeks later.[13] The following year, Allen led Highland Park to its sixth state championship and fourth title during his tenure. Highland Park Shadow Creek High School 27-17 in the AAAAA Division I State Championship.

On September 9, 2022, Allen became the 2nd winningest coach in Texas high school football history with win number 427 over Lake Highlands 52-21.[14] As of November 18th, [15]2023, Coach Allen remains the winningest active coach in the state of Texas.

Personal life

In January 2014, Allen was chosen as the recipient of the 2013 Grant Teaff Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lifetime Achievement Award.[16]

In 2017, Randy Allen was selected as an SMU Distinguished Alumnus.[17]

References
  1. "Readers' Choice: Randy Allen Celebrates Another Milestone - People Newspapers". 2022-12-26. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  2. Legendary Highland Park football coach Randy Allen becomes the third to win 400 games
  3. Dave Campbell's Texas Football: All-time coaching records
  4. "Dallas Highland Park Head Coach Randy Allen Gets 350th Win". Lone Star Gridiron. 2016-09-17. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
  5. Cabarrouy, Gabriel (2007-12-19). "Highland Park's growing legend". Dallas Morning News.
  6. "Ballinger coach to succeed Gordon Wood". Dallas Morning News. 1986-01-12.
  7. "Allen leaves Brownwood for Abilene Cooper job". San Antonio Express-News. 1990-12-12.
  8. Hill, Clarence (1996-12-22). "Austin Westlake trounces error-prone Abilene Cooper". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  9. McKay, Matt (1999-06-16). "Allen settles into new role at HP". Dallas Morning News.
  10. Blackistone, Kevin (2005-12-15). "Great Scots leave no doubt". Dallas Morning News.
  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. "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.
  13. Florek, Michael; Riddle, Greg. "Flashback: Highland Park football coach Randy Allen returns to helm three weeks after exit". Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  14. Taylor, Myah (10 September 2022). "'It was electric': Highland Park's Randy Allen becomes DFW's winningest coach". Dallas News. Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  15. "Highland Park High School (Dallas, TX) Athletics". www.scotsillustrated.com. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  16. Seward, Mickey. "Randy Allen Named Grant Teaff Lifetime Achievement Award Winner". www.fca.org. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  17. "SMU To Honor 2017 Distinguished Alumni, Emerging Leader - SMU Magazine". blog.smu.edu. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
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