HIGHLAND PARK, Texas — If you take a look at the Highland Park sideline, you’ll see a determined, gritty disciplined bunch. And then you’ll see their leader, who’s perhaps the best dressed football coach in America.
Randy Allen is a man with over 400 career wins under his belt and four state championship rings on his hand.
“I never really looked at [coaching] like a job,” Allen said. “It was always something I was drawn to. It was kind of like a calling.”
Allen had that calling when he was 12 years old. He was destined to be a high school football coach. But before he was calling plays on the sideline, he was making plays on the field as a SMU Mustang. Allen was a tailback for SMU from 1969-72.
“I worked hard. I was not a great college player but I contributed to the team,” he said. “I learned a lot about not being a starter. I was on the sidelines, I was a scout team player and that really helped my development as a head football coach."
Coach Allen was the head of three high school football programs prior to taking the reins at Highland Park. As far as state titles go, he came close in 1996 coaching for his alma mater Abilene Cooper. But Drew Brees and the Westlake Chaparrals held that championship honor instead.
“That loss hurt. At some point in your coaching career you think boy, if I haven’t won one yet, maybe I’m not ever going to win one,” Allen said.
But he did. Nine years later with the help of his own future NFL star quarterback: Matthew Stafford.
“We used to watch tape in his office and he had a mini fridge filled with moon pies. I had one too many of those as a kid,” Stafford said, reminiscing on his favorite memories of Coach Allen. "He used to teach us quarterbacks about coverage and route concepts with poker chips. We would be blue poker chips, opposing teams would be red poker chips.”
“That group of young men had a goal to win a state championship when they were in eighth grade. And we won it all in 2005,” Allen said.
It wouldn’t be the last time Highland Park won some hardware. With their three-peat in 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Scots joined some elite Texas high school football company.
Winning seems to be a foundational culture that doesn’t change. But Coach Allen’s drive and purpose exceeds far beyond wins and losses.
“It’s always about the players and coaches. It’s all about those relationships,” he said. “Seeing that look in their eye that they’ve done something they didn’t think they could do is so rewarding to me."
“Under the legendary Coach Allen, it’s special for sure. Every day you don’t take it for granted,” said Highland Park wide receiver John Rutledge. “We got the best coach in high school football history. It’s super special."
By the time he hangs up his fedora, who knows how many wins and state titles Coach Allen will have.