Legendary HP Coach Allen Retiring
After leading Highland Park’s storied football program to unprecedented heights, Randy Allen is stepping down.
Allen announced his retirement on Wednesday after leading the Scots for the past 19 seasons, including back-to-back Class 5A Division I state championships.
Allen certainly is leaving on top. His final game on the sidelines saw HP rally late for a thrilling 53-49 victory over Manvel in the title game on Dec. 23. It was the third state championship overall for the Scots under Allen, who holds almost every coaching record at the school.
After arriving in 1999, he won 223 games at HP, for an incredible average of 11.7 per season. His HP teams earned 17 district titles, and the same number of seasons ended with at least 10 wins.
Other state titles came in 2005 — capping the only undefeated season in HP history — and in 2016. The 2017 team set a new program mark for points scored in a season.
“I’ve given much thought and prayer to this decision and shed many tears over the past few days because I love these players and coaches so much,” Allen said. “This is the right time to retire and I am at peace with the decision. This is what I know: the future of Scot football is bright. The commitment, enthusiasm, mental and physical toughness, teamwork, and tradition will continue to produce successful teams on the field.”
In 37 seasons overall as a head coach (not including seven more as an assistant), which included stints at Ballinger, Brownwood, and Abilene Cooper, Allen won 376 games, which ranks him fourth all-time in the state. He won 70 playoff games, which is second all-time.
In 2013, Allen received the Grant Teaff Fellowship of Christian Athletes Lifetime Achievement Award. He was named the NFL’s Don Shula National Coach of the Year following the 2016 championship. And in 2017, he was chosen as an SMU Distinguished Alumnus. Allen, 67, is a published author who was elected to the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 2006.
“This is a sad day for Highland Park but, at the same time, a celebration of the career of a man and all the athletes and coaches he has impacted over the last 44 years,” said HPISD athletic director Johnny Ringo. “Coach Allen literally changed the landscape for Scot football during the last 19 years, not only by winning three state championships but by displaying his tremendous faith each day. He is a one-of-a-kind mentor to all who have had a chance to play for him or work with him. We wish him the best as he and his wife, Carolyn, enter this new chapter in their lives.”
Highland Park ISD plans to conduct a search for Allen’s successor in the coming weeks. We’ll have more details and reaction forthcoming.
