(Avoca) Avoca native Larry Allen has risen to great heights in the coaching profession including back-to-back state titles as head football coach at OABCIG. Coach Allen joins the Why I Coach podcast.
Allen says he grew up in a family where sports were a big priority at a time when it was common for young people to be involved in a lot of activities. Coach Allen, in his 35th year of coaching, says his program puts a big emphasis on producing quality people. “Be a good person all the way around, because when you are done playing people might have to look up and see how good you were on your stats and so forth, but they won’t look up and see what kind of person you are. They will know that. We’ve had a lot of kids go through and I honestly believe for some they graduated high school because they were involved in sports. That’s what got them to school, what kept them in school, and I think our coaches have done an outstanding job with those that needed that push.”
With the Falcons, Allen has gotten to coach a once in a generation type of talent in the form of Iowa football signee Cooper DeJean. “Cooper is an outstanding athlete. He’s an outstanding person as well. The communities have really embraced him and how he acts. He’s a mentor for little kids. He goes to JV games. He’s just a humble kid. You’d never notice by him walking down the street that he has the caliber of talent that he has. He doesn’t tell you that. He doesn’t do anything to draw attention to himself. But when it’s game day and it’s time to show, he can show you what he can do just by his actions.”
Allen also spent nearly 20 years as a head coach in girls basketball and more than a dozen as an assistant. He coached golf in the spring for almost 15 seasons. He admits one of the biggest challenges is to keep kids out for sports with all of the other distractions they have. “We are really excited when we can keep kids out from one year to the next. We had 24 freshmen a year ago and we kept all of them out except one coming back as sophomores. Then we have kids that join us that haven’t been out for a couple of years and that’s always rewarding as well. The biggest thing is just keeping kids excited about being involved. There’s so many things that are taking them away from being involved in activities. They all think they have to have nice cars and all that stuff anymore and many of them have to work to earn their own money where in the past mom or dad could help them out more.”
He admits finding success takes a collaborative effort. “The smartest thing I’ve ever done is get good coaches that I coach with and allow them to coach. There are many, many guys out there that are much smarter than I am. X’s and O’s I’m not on the top of the list for sure, but I’m smart enough to let those people help and we discuss it as a staff and figure out what we want to do.”
Allen lists Kim Weddum, Jim Wharton, and Craig Lyon as impactful teachers and coaches during his high school days in Avoca.
Previous Coaches
John Kesselring, Adair-Casey alum
Eric Maassen, (AHST grad) Sheldon
Jerome Hoegh, Atlantic grad (West Sioux)
Gaylord Schelling, Atlantic and Tri-Center
Dick Strittmatter, Atlantic native
Chad Klein, Audubon Native (Kuemper Catholic and Boone)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Monte Riebhoff)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Steve Ahrendsen)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Scott Weber)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Curt Mace)
Chris Stimson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jan Jensen, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum
Seth Poldberg, EH-K grad and Guthrie Center coach
Trevor Gipple, (Griswold grad) SW Valley
Angie Spangenberg, Harlan and Red Oak
Eric Stein (Harlan grad) Iowa Central
Darrell Burmeister, Nodaway Valley
Lanny Kliefoth, Nodaway Valley
