Longhorns Expected To Add DFW Area High School Coach To Key Recruiting Role
Steve Sarkisian knows the importance of having relationships with high school football coaches in the state of Texas, and on Wednesday, he proved it, reportedly adding Lancaster head coach Chris Gilbert to fill the role of Director of High School relations.
The hiring was first reported by Mike Roach of Horns247.
As the head coach of the Tigers for over a decade, Gilbert has become one of the most influential coaching figures in the state of Texas and currently sits on the Region 3 Board of Directors for the Texas High School Coaches Association.
During his tie with Lancaster, Gilbert led his team to an 83-30 overall record, with a 16-7 playoff record. He has also brought home five District Coach of the Year awards while with the program in 2007, 2009, 2012, 2016, as well as this past season in 2020.
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Gilbert began his head coaching career at his alma mater South Oak Cliff in 2006, before eventually moving on to Terrell High School in 2009, before finally landing at Lancaster in 2010.
The role that Gilbert will now fill, was originally created by Mack Brown in 2008 when he hired former Longhorn quarterback legend, Major Applewhite. Bob Shipley, who has occupied the role since 2017, will remain with the program in some capacity, per Sarkisian.
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“I think we’ve been a little bit of a transition stage," Sarkisian said. "I think he’s still going to be part of the program, in the exact capacity yet we don’t know. Bob has been a tremendous resource for me since coming on board. I really value what he brings to the program. So as we work our way through it, we’ll get to a point that Bob will definitely have a role in the program, to what extent still remains to be seen.”
According to the initial report from Roach, the hiring of Gilbert still needs to be approved by the NCAA, which is expected to happen by the end of next week.
