Capital One Bank Dallas Coach of the Year: Tim Buchanan

Tim Buchanan found himself thrust into the national spotlight when the parent of a player on an opposing team filed a bullying complaint against the coach after Aledo's 91-0 win over Western Hills (Fort Worth) on Oct. 18.

In the firestorm that followed, there were appearances on several coast-to-coast television shows with Buchanan laying out some of the facts. Starters, some playing as few as 16 snaps, were replaced by backups in the third quarter. The Aledo return man was instructed to fair-catch punts. The offense used only basic plays.

Phone calls and emails of support from fellow coaches and former players started pouring in. Texas Longhorns coach Mack Brown weighed in with public support of Buchanan. The Aledo school district investigated the charge as dictated by state law and cleared its coach.

The entire episode turned into a "This Is Your Life'' moment for the 53-year old Buchanan.

"Some of my former players are 40-year-olds now, and they were saying our coaching staff helped make them the person they are today,'' Buchanan said. "In all the media attention, only one person tried to turn it into a controversy.

"How the whole thing came out surprised me more than anything in 31 years as a high school coach.''

What is not surprising is another Aledo run to a UIL state championship game. The Bearcats (15-0) go for their fifth title in Buchanan's 21 seasons at the helm when they face Brenham (14-1) in the Class 4A Division II final set for noon Saturday at AT&T Stadium.

Buchanan's coaching style has created pride and player loyalty while building a record of 226-53-3 with 17 consecutive playoff appearances — prime reasons for his selection as the 2013 Capital One Bank Dallas Coach of the Year.

Aledo's first state title came in 1998 at the Class 3A Division I level. The Bearcats won three straight Class 4A Division II state titles from 2009 to 2011 in what came to be known as the Johnathan Gray era. Before joining the running back stable for the Texas Longhorns, Gray broke several state high school career records including points (1,232) and touchdowns (205).

"We were really, really good with Johnathan,'' Buchanan says. "We were pretty good before him and we knew we'd be good even after he left.''

And irony of ironies, with all those high school touchdown dashes of Gray in a No. 32 jersey only a memory, Aledo shattered the 11-man national single-season scoring record this fall. The Bearcats have scored 985 points in their 15 wins, an average of 65.7 points per game.

The current crop of seniors convinced Buchanan they might be "pretty good'' when as seventh-graders they defeated Stephenville, 56-8.

Mix in some underclassmen at vital spots, including junior quarterback Luke Bishop, and the Bearcats are a complete football squad that dominates even the state‘s best Class 4A teams.

Avoiding injuries also plays a role in Aledo's success. Buchanan said it appears the same 22 players that started in the Bearcats' season opening 44-3 victory over eventual Class 4A Division I state semifinalist Highland Park will be starting in the state final.

One of the seniors is Buchanan's son Caleb, converted from linebacker to become a standout center (Tim and wife Rebecca also have a daughter, Madeline, a year older than Caleb).

"I never get to watch him during the games,'' the coach said. "I'm looking at the opponent's defense to see how they are playing us. When I get home after the game, then I watch.''

When Buchanan took the Aledo job in 1993, the football program was a coaching graveyard. He was the fifth Bearcats coach in four years. One stayed only two days.

"I remember a film from one of the scrimmages. Holliday ran eight plays that started from their 35 and all eight went for 65-yard touchdowns,'' Buchanan said.

He instilled a "start on time'' motto. Checking past game film, Buchanan noted the number of times opponents either returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown or scored on its first play from scrimmage.

The turnaround didn't happen overnight. In the first season, the Bearcats were 2-8. But that was also their last losing record. It took two more years to begin the streak of playoff appearances.

"We had to build trust and let the kids know the coaches were going to be there for them after having so many coaches,'' Buchanan said.

In his own high school playing days as a linebacker at Killeen, Buchanan's playoff hopes were spoiled by Central Texas power Temple. But he was good enough to get a scholarship to Abilene Christian. His bachelor's degree is from Texas State with a Masters in education from Texas A&M.

Before Aledo, Buchanan made five assistant coaching stops and at the last one, A&M Consolidated (College Station), he was involved in three state championship games and on the winning side in one.

Lucrative coaching offers have been turned down by Buchanan. Changing jobs was out of the question until his children completed their schooling in Aledo.

"The only way I would leave now is for a college assistant coaching job,'' Buchanan said. "If the right job came along, I'd think about it. But I have a great job. I've been so lucky to be able to do what I love.''