BEST SCHOOL COACH: Jamie Graham, Marble Falls Middle School

MARBLE FALLS — Fred Graham’s sudden death Feb. 4 at a local business stunned his eldest son, Jamie.
As word spread of his dad’s memorial service, several unexpected mourners made their way to First Baptist Church of Marble Falls on Feb. 10 to pay their respects and lift up the Marble Falls Middle School boys coordinator: His student-athletes.
That story illustrates, in part, why Graham was voted by The Picayune readers as the Locals Love Us Best School Coach in the Marble Falls area.
Graham said the presence of those players gave him a lot of comfort when he needed it the most, adding there weren’t words to adequately convey what that act meant to him as well as what it means to win the award.
“It’s an honor,” he said. “I couldn’t do it without the kids I have, the coaching staff I have, and the leadership. I couldn’t do it without my family.”
Graham, who is in his first year as the school’s boys athletic coordinator, had little trouble explaining his role in the Marble Falls Independent School District’s sports departments.
“I’m here to make it fun and to help them continue to love sports,” he said. “We’re going to learn a lot of technique in sports and specific stuff.”
“I want the kids’ best years to be as juniors and seniors,” he said. “I don’t want them to say their best years were when they were younger than that. I want them to put up with the hard work it takes. If you don’t love it, it’s hard to do the work.”
Graham is very familiar with hard work. A 1992 graduate of Marble Falls High School, Graham was an all-district and all Cen-Tex running back who helped the Mustangs football team reach the 1991 Class 3A state quarterfinals.
He still holds the program record for the fastest 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds, which was set in the spring of 1991. The coach isn’t shy about telling his players about his record either.
“I tell them I’ll be expecting it to be taken down quickly,” he said. “We want them to get faster and stronger. That will surely translate into wins. I don’t shy away from what I’ve done in the past. I just want them to do better. I want to see us win a state championship.”
One former player who has a chance to help win that title is sophomore athlete Cooper Wilson. Graham sees a lot of himself in the youngster.
Wilson noted that Graham was named the program’s best running back in 1990 and 1991. His goal is to break Graham’s record by winning it three times.
“You have a shot,” Graham told him. “Let’s see if you can finish.”
The Ponies just wrapped up basketball season. The seventh-grade B team was undefeated in district play to win the championship, while the seventh-grade A team was tied for first place in the district race. The eighth-grade B team was second in district, and the A team finished third. Between the four teams, they posted a combined record of 45-11.
The coordinator was grateful for the votes, noting it’s not easy to win a Locals Love Us award because of the amazing people on the staff.
“I have a great group of coaches I like working with on a daily basis,” he said. “We all have the same vision, and we work well together.”
jfierro@thepicayune.com