July is rarely the right moment for any high school football coach to consider changing jobs, but it was a fit for Dustin Altmiller.
When the head football coach and athletic director position at Olney opened July 3, Altmiller pounced on the opportunity to return to his alma mater.
“It sounds crazy, but I really want to say it was a God thing,” Altmiller said. “There was a chance to go after this job last year, and I considered it, but my son was a senior at Benbrook, and he wanted to finish his senior year there.
“When the opportunity presented itself again, everything just kind of fell into place.”
Altmiller has spent the past 14 years as an offensive coordinator, first at Hirschi and then Benbrook, under coach Cody Slater. There probably wasn’t another job that could have enticed him to leave Benbrook in mid-July other than Olney, which isn’t a prime destination for many head coaching candidates.
“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” said Altmiller, a 1998 Olney grad. “I knew when I was a junior in high school that I wanted to be a football coach. To have the opportunity to lead this program and give back to the community that gave so much to me, it’s an honor.”
Altmiller’s parents, grandparents and much of his extended family still live in Olney. It also helped that his daughter, Kailin, was excited to move right before her junior year.
“We’ve got a family farm with about 1,000 acres, and my daughter wants to go into ranch management,” Altmiller said. “It turned into the right fit for my family.”
Altmiller knows he’s not taking over a program that was as successful as when he was in high school. The Cubs have experienced just one season above .500 and three playoff berths since 2008. The program went winless in six seasons during that span.
Olney is coming off a 2-8 campaign in its one season under Chris Tobola, who resigned on July 3 after weeks of complaints from parents and coaches about his alleged verbal abuse of student-athletes and fellow coaches, according to the Olney Enterprise.
But this isn’t a stepping stone for Altmiller’s coaching career, it’s more like a dream job.
“I’m not coming here because I was desperate to get my first head coaching job,” Altmiller said. “I’m not chasing a head coaching or athletic director title. I’m not looking to get a few years experience to just move on. I hate to say it, but it’s not even about winning to me.
“When our kids graduate, I want them to be able to look back and realize that we did things the right way, and our coaches loved us. My biggest goal is to give the same experiences to these kids that I had when I went to Olney that made me want to be a coach. I really believe if you love kids and treat them right, they’ll buy into the program, and winning will come.”
Offense
The Cubs will remain in a spread offense under offensive coordinator Brady Hilton.
Junior Tucker Cortinez returns at quarterback after taking over the position midway through last season. The Cubs are moving leading receiver Jamarcus Collins to tailback, wanting to get the ball in the junior’s hands more often. Canton Rodgers will also factor in at running back.
Senior Juan Castillo is the top target in the passing game, and the Cubs are hoping someone will step up to complement him.
The offensive line has multiple returning starters, including Carson Boston, Rico Sandoval, Jacoby Esquivel, Cannon Beavers and Jacob Gallardo. Isaiah Burdick and Dameon Hernandez will see time at H-back.
Defense
The Cubs will base out of a 4-3 schedule under defensive coordinator Casey Keeter.
Boston and Esquivel are returning starters up front with Russell Warner, Beavers, Burdick and Rodgers factoring in at the other two positions.
The Cubs will have the least amount of experience at linebacker. Hernandez will play a bandit/hybrid role, while Sandoval will likely be the middle linebacker with Collins starting on the strong side.
Collins’ younger brother, Dom, will be a sophomore starter at cornerback. Fellow sophomore Shareginald Williams is in line to be the other starting corner. Cortinez and Castillo fill out the defense at the safety positions.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: High school football preview: Olney alum Dustin Altmiller returns home to lead the Cubs
Reporting by Jonathan Hull, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
