Stellar career now includes top trophy
By Sam Waller
Albany Lions head football coach Denney Faith finally has the one career achievement that had been missing from his resume – the same resume he has apparently not seen the need to update for more than three decades.
In his first 35 seasons as head coach at Albany, the only school district for which Faith has worked, he had guided the Lions to 18 district championships (including 11 in a row from 2008-18) and 28 playoff appearances with four trips to the state finals. Each of those appearances in the title game – 1991, 2009, 2014, and 2015 – ended in disappointment.
For decades, Albany has been a program that teams had to get past to earn a title. Since the UIL began conducting playoffs in five 11-man conferences in 1951, Albany has qualified for the postseason 44 times. In 18 of those playoff trips, 13 during Faith’s tenure, the Lions saw their season end with a loss to the eventual state champion. Another six seasons ended with losses to the state runner-up.
That all changed Wednesday, Dec. 14 at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium with Albany’s 41-21 victory over Mart, giving Faith his first state championship. But Faith said the title has to be shared with all who helped make the program a perennial contender.
“The 2022 team has won a state championship not only for themselves but for a lot of other guys who sacrificed and did everything they could to get in this kind of position,” he said. “I’m so glad for our community that wanted this so bad. I can’t say enough about kids growing up in a small town and playing football in a town like Albany, Texas, that is passionate about the game and the kids.”
Senior quarterback Cole Chapman said the team was determined to win a title for Faith.
“Finally getting one for Coach feels amazing,” Chapman said.
The win in the championship game gave Faith 344 career coaching victories, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the all-time state list behind Phil Danaher (488), G.A. Moore (426), Randy Allen (424), and Gordon Wood (393). Only Allen, now at Highland Park after stints at Ballinger, Brownwood, and Abilene Cooper, is still active. The closest active coach behind Faith is Duncanville’s Reginald Samples, who has 326 wins after earning his first championship in Class 6A Division I on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Faith is quick to point out that more people than himself had a hand in compiling his record of 344-110-4.
“You can’t have those kinds of records without having great people around you,” he said. “We’ve had great assistant coaches here. I’ve had administrators who allowed us to do the things we need to do and never blinked an eye about telling us no, that you can’t have this or do that.”
And, of course, there have been the hundreds of players who did the actual work on the field.
“It goes without saying that besides the coaches and administrators, you’ve got to have very good football players,” Faith said. “I’ve been very fortunate here to coach kids who love playing football.”
Following the championship game, Faith deflected questions about his future.
“I’m going to take some time off,” he said. “When you start in August and go to the middle of December, it’s a grind. I’m going to take some time here, and we’ll see.”
But he admitted he stills enjoys his job.
“I love coaching football, love being around kids on a football field,” he said. “I still enjoy going to practice and still have my health.”
Now less than 50 wins behind Wood on the career coaching list, Faith would need to average 13 wins – making at least the state quarterfinals – for four more seasons to move up another spot. Since 2008 (15 seasons), Albany has averaged 12.1 wins per season.
And winning one championship just makes the coach want another.
“The adrenaline is pumping; I know that,” Faith said. “I told the kids when we got off the bus after getting back to town on Thursday to have their stuff ready, and let’s go to work Monday. We’ll see.”
