from the Plano Courier:
David Piehler, one of the five remaining original Plano West varsity coaches, has resigned his position as the head boys basketball coach.
“We’ve accomplished a lot at Plano West,†Piehler said. “It’s with mixed emotions that I leave.â€
Piehler was an SMU basketball standout and never coached more than a 30-minute drive from the Dallas campus. He’s accepted the head boys basketball coaching position at Highland Park.
“I think Highland Park will always hold a special place for me,†Piehler said. “I got to know a lot of people there, when I attended to SMU. It’s not like I’m going to a place where I’m going to be a stranger. In a way, it is like I’m going home. I’m excited about that.â€
Piehler resigned his Plano West coaching position Tuesday. He’s spoken with both his former and future teams, which caused the mix of emotions.
“I’m leaving a great group of guys coming up at Plano West,†Piehler said. “That was hard to leave. It was not easy to make this decision.â€
The Highland Park position offers a more relaxed teaching schedule with a full-time varsity assistant. The Plano ISD basketball coaches don’t have full-time assistant coaches and have a greater teaching load.
Piehler also views the Highland Park position as an opportunity.
“It’s a chance to build a program,†Piehler said. “The way the system works in Plano, it’s hard to have a family feel. I’m amazed by what Tom Inman and Don Patterson were able to do in winning state championships.â€
Piehler served two stints within the Plano ISD. Piehler graduated from SMU and coached at Clark High School beginning in 1991. He left after three seasons to become the varsity assistant at Rockwall and a year later became the head coach at Rockwall. He returned to open the Plano West program in 1999.
He views the Plano West program as a perfect opportunity for Larry Barbour or Phil Parlin, two of the most accomplished assistants in the Plano ISD.
“I think they would both be great,†Piehler said. “They’re loyal and faithful. They’ve done it all the right way. It’s time they got a shot. Coach (Mike) Hughes gave Kendall Clark a chance when he hired him from within. That was a great hire. I’ll never forget the person that gave me a chance. Someone’s got to give everybody a chance.â€
http://www.courier-gazette.com/articles ... rts_10.txt