Star-Spencer Coach Takes Reins at Washington High
‘This Is a Great Place to Be,’ Hall Says of New Job
By ROBERT E. BARNES
Special to the Chronicle
TULSA--Darrell Hall conceded that “pressure comes with the job” as the new head football coach at Booker T. Washington High School, but he’s, nevertheless, glad to be there.
“We’re going to play football and do it the right way, and we’ll let the chips fall where they may,” said Coach Hall, 44, who, just last season, led Star-Spencer High School of Oklahoma City to the Class 4A state championship title.
“We expect to play for the gold ball.”
“If you want to go win, this is the place to do it,” Coach Hall said. “This is the place to get young men Division I scholarships….
“This is a great place to be.”
Indeed.
In only 11 years, Coach Hall has moved from being the defensive coordinator at West Junior High School of Moore to becoming head coach for one of the state’s premier high school football programs.
In seven seasons at Star-Spencer High, Coach Hall recorded 57 victories and made six playoff appearances.
Among the students who attended the news conference at which his appointment was announced were a number of Hornets football players.
“I just know that [Coach Hall] won the state championship last year in 4A,” said Terrance Taylor, a cornerback and wide receiver, who will be a senior next season.
“I think he’s going to be a good man. He can teach us on and off the field.”
“Coach Hall gave me the impression that he’s a winner,” said Dillon O. Carroll, also a senior-to-be and a two-way lineman at Washington High.
“He’s a serious man and expects his players to take him seriously. He seems like a disciplinarian. You’ve got to have that.”
The students closed the news conference by singing the Washington High’s school song.
“I’m glad to be a Hornet,” said Coach Hall, a Fox native who played football at East Central Oklahoma State University.
He is not defined exclusively as a football man, though.
In 1990-95, Coach was a highway patrolman, and he was also a rodeo athlete, who competed as a team roper.
“I moved from the county to the city, so, I sold the horses and kept the bird dogs,” Coach Hall said. “You’ll see me in jeans and boots a lot.”
At Washington High, Coach Hall succeeds Antwain Jimmerson, who coached the Hornets in 2000-09.
In 2008, the Hornets captured the Class 5A championship. It was the seventh title in school history and the school’s first since 1984.
During the 2009 season, Coach Jimmerson was suspended after more than 40 student-athletes (including at least seven football starters) were ruled ineligible.
The Hornets were forced to forfeit three victories and did not quality for the postseason.
In January, Coach Jimmerson resigned as head coach and athletic director.
School district officials hired Coach Hall after interviewing 10 candidates.
In addition to coaching football, the new head football coach will teach world history.
On Saturday, Coach Hall and his Star-Spencer High players will receive their championship rings during ceremonies at the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football opener.
During the rest of the semester, Coach Hall will coach the Star-Spencer High track team while making occasional trips to Tulsa to evaluate Washington High players and assistant coaches at the Tulsa school.
He said no decisions have been made regarding the makeup of his new staff.
The newly-named Washington High head coach said he will be with the Hornets during their spring-practice period in May.
“I’m pretty versatile,” Coach Hall said about his offensive philosophy. “If I’ve got a quarterback who can throw the ball and great receivers, we’re going to throw the ball.
“If you put nine [defenders] in the box, I’m going to throw the ball. If I can spread you out, I’m going to run the ball.”
During the weekend, as it became known that he had been hired, Coach Hall said he was inundated with telephone calls.
“There are a few great jobs in Oklahoma, and this is at the top,” Coach Hall said.
