Congratulations David Piehler

[Bergermeister]

Former Mustang lands the head job at Highland Park High School.

[Hoop Fan]

if I remember correctly doesnt he use that Grinnell style of getting up more shots than your opponent? Wasnt there a big article in the paper last year about his Plano West program and style of play? By the way I noticed in his bio that he was a PE major at SMU back in the day. Heres an example of a guy using his major to go on to become a successful coach. Lots of athletes want to do that and SMU has been missing out the past 15 years.

[friarwolf]

He did for the first half of the 2004/2005 season and then switched back after he was nearly lynched. He was employing that Mickey Mouse system when Matt Williams and his private school team which also used a form of that system beat them. The score was in the hundreds. This was the game where Matt had over 60 points.

Piehler is not held in high regard by the Plano West parents - he wasn't in Rockwall either - so I am guessing he won't be in Highland Park for long......

[Hoop Fan]

Piehler is not held in high regard by the Plano West parents - he wasn't in Rockwall either - so I am guessing he won't be in Highland Park for long......

why dat friguy? Does he chew on kids?

[MrMustang1965]

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

http://www.courier-gazette.com/articles ... rts_10.txt

[Bergermeister]

I don't know anything about Rockwall, but as for Plano West, I doubt he held the parents in high regard...

[friarwolf]

Comments range from aloof; uncaring; very inconsistent in terms of communicating, dealing with the kids, coaching philosophies.....

In regards to his coaching abilities, he is not held in very high regard. He had a team in Rockwall that featured Nathan Doudney - later of Tech and Gonazaga - and they barely made the playoffs and lost in the first round. Jerry Stone took the same team next year to the Regional Finals where they lost to the eventual champion. In Plano West, they have had very talented teams that once again either missed the playoffs or barely made them and promptly lost.

Here's a dandy. Greg Dreiling, the old Dallas Mav, has a son, Scott, who was a senior at West this year. Not a bad player, Scott actually had a couple of offers from small schools going into this year. Piehler asked Greg work with the Plano West players last summer and Greg coached some of the Plano West summer Metrocrest league games. One week into practice, Piehler, without notice, cuts Scott from the team saying he wasn't good enough to play for Plano West. This is a kid who lettered for Piehler as a junior. Think the Highland Park parents will put up with that??????

[Bergermeister]

Put some cheez with that whine...... sounds Plano Westy

[friarwolf]

Just passing along consistent impressions the man left at both stops as the head coach along with an example of pretty poor judgement imo. Using a letterman's dad to help develop and coach players on the team and then cutting the son his senior year sounds pretty "cheesy" to me.

The man during an informal meeting of parents in Rockwall told everyone that one of his pet peeves was coaches leaving at the drop of the hat for what they perceived was a better opportunity rather than sinking roots and developing a program - two weeks before he tendered his resignation to go to Plano West.

[Stallion]

Geez so what's he s'pposed to do Moron (Animal House exemption) stay in Rockwall for the rest of his life. I'll bet none of you ever took a pay increase or promotion.

[gostangs]

And how do you build a program at a two year high school anyway?
Plano West would be a nightmare to coach - very high degree of insecure wannabee parents.

[friarwolf]

Geez so what's he s'pposed to do Moron (Animal House exemption) stay in Rockwall for the rest of his life. I'll bet none of you ever took a pay increase or promotion.

Ummm...........let's think about that for a nano second, perky pony......ah yes, how about not making comments that makes himself look like a complete fraud, perhaps??????????

[mrydel]

Geez so what's he s'pposed to do Moron (Animal House exemption) stay in Rockwall for the rest of his life. I'll bet none of you ever took a pay increase or promotion.

Ummm...........let's think about that for a nano second, perky pony......ah yes, how about not making comments that makes himself look like a complete fraud, perhaps??????????

So I guess you are a MD basher since he told FAU he would be there and then left to come here. Wake up. Coaches change jobs.

[HixsontoLeVias]

...it's ALWAYS nice to see a fellow ATO from SMU land a new gig...Dave is a good guy, he will do well at HP...btw, being the parent of a competitive boys baseball player..don't get me started about the freakin' parents, the parents ARE the problem, 9 times out of 10, not the coach!! Long Live Sonny Allen.