ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
The abrupt resignation of Bryan Luetters as the head of the Liberal High School football program left a void in the team’s coaching leadership and recently, that void was officially filled.
USD 480 announced Trevor Powers will be leading the LHS Redskins football team starting this coming season.
Powers, who will be coming from Hooker, Okla., is no stranger to football success, racking up a coaching record of 80-23 over eight seasons, including a 16-7 playoff record. As he tells it, his path to a coaching career was a bit odd.
“I'd worked in some other job fields, and was actually working in banking in Oklahoma City when I decided to get into coaching. I told my wife, Shayla, that's what I wanted to do and what I went to school for and I ultimately just went for it,” Powers said. “I'm originally from Texhoma, Okla., and I graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State University before doing some other work outside of coaching. I coached for three years in Sayer, Okla., and then for the past eight years, I've been at Hooker High School in Hooker, Okla. I loved being around the athletes and working with them and the overall atmosphere, and it's great being that kind of role model and helping these athletes grow not just as players but also as men. Once I got going, I never really looked back. I've loved every second of it all, and I still enjoy getting up every morning and being part of everything.”
Ultimately, Powers’ path brought him to Liberal.
“The LHS administration actually reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if I would have any interest in taking the position. I paid a visit to Liberal and talked with Ashley Kappelmann and Kerri Miles and I was interested in what they had to offer for me and my family in terms of coaching football and running the program and everything else I enjoy,” Powers said. “The more I was talking to them about their vision for the program, and after talking with some of the athletes, I was really impressed with what I was hearing, so I wanted to be part of it. When they offered me the position, I was really excited, and I wanted to make sure my wife was on board with it all. We looked at the elementary schools and other places around town, and I was really impressed with what we saw. Now, it's all about getting a coaching staff put together who share a vision for the program, so I'm looking forward to building those relationships with them and the athletes we'll be working with.”
Even though the season will not be starting for many months, Powers said there is already work to be done.
“First off, we'll be hosting a parent meeting Friday evening, so I'll get to meet the athletes and their parents and let everyone ask questions,” Powers said. “People want to know the coach their children will be playing for, so I'm excited to put a face with the name and introduce myself properly and talk about my goals for the program. I want to build a strong foundation and build from there. The overall culture of excellence is there, so I want to do what I can to build on the success that's already been seen and take that into the actual season when it starts. I know the guys want to win games and do well and make a playoff run, and I want to work with them to build a solid foundation so that can happen. We haven't gotten the chance to set any goals in stone quite yet, but that will happen as we meet up. We all have high expectations and goals, and I'd love to see us reach them or even exceed them.”
Powers added the transition from Hooker to Liberal will be both easy and challenging at the same time.
“Being able to move up to a much larger school with different opportunities is a big deal, but I am grateful we won't actually be moving too far away from what we're familiar with. My parents still live in Guymon, Okla. and my mother-in-law still lives in Texhoma, so it'll be great still having all of them involved in our lives and with our children,” Powers said. “I actually clocked everything recently, and it took only 18 minutes for me to get from my front door to LHS, so it'll definitely be an easy transition and easy move compared to what it could be. And I actually want to be in this area and be around people I know, so I think it'll be great. I'll be able to stay 'home' while also taking on a new adventure. The main difference will be working with a larger number of students. At the end of the day, athletes are athletes and football is football, so the main difference will be just the numbers. Also, here in Hooker, I'm coaching 5th through 12th grade football and the athletic director, plus I teach three classes and coach three other sports and drive one of the buses. Coming to Liberal, I'll be able to focus more on taking care of the football program since those extra responsibilities will be under someone else's purview, and it'll give me the time to do what I need to do.”
Powers said he is very excited to begin getting to work with the Redskins football program.
“There's been a lot of success seen with the program the past couple years, and I think the coaches were doing a great job helping turn a corner, so I'm excited to start building on that,” Powers said. “The guys are also really excited, they know they have the opportunity to do some things in Liberal that haven't happened in a long time. The facilities are incredible, as is the overall atmosphere for games, so it'll be really exciting to be part of all of that. The Western Athletic Conference is also really strong, there are a lot of great rivalries and teams in there, so it should be great seeing how those games end up. We want playoff wins and we want to make it farther than in the past, and getting past that week nine or week 10 mark will help put us in that position to be in the hunt for a State title. When I started at Hooker, the team had never made it past the second round of the playoffs and now, they've made multiple deep runs and even a couple State titles, so it can happen. I know there will be that transition with me and the athletes, but I want us to be a tough team by the end of the season.”
Overall, Powers said, he is excited to get to Liberal.
“There will be some great opportunities for my children in terms of activities like Kids Inc. and other school programs and things like that, which I'm really excited about,” Powers said. “With my wife and I, when you're raising four small children, we won't have to drive as much since Liberal has a lot of amenities like the grocery stores and places like that, so that will also be great. I also really love the golf scene in Liberal and I'm there quite a bit in the summer, so that'll be great too. This is something I wasn't even thinking about a couple weeks ago, and all of a sudden we're planning a move and becoming part of a new community. I'm very excited to take the position, and I'll be around in the community a lot coming up. I'm really honored to be part of the program and help take the team far into the season, and I can't wait to be there in Liberal.”
