With whistles in their mouths and clipboards in their hands, coaches Aaron Nuckles, Jonathan Van Liew and James Allison are back to run the programs they participated in as students. Nuckles graduated from Lampasas in 2000, Van Liew in 2009 and Allison in

     “I have always loved sports and the competition that comes with them,” Nuckles said. “I just kind of got involved coming out of college, and here I am.”

     Nuckles was head coach of the Llano Yellowjackets basketball program for a year,  previously an assistant coach for Lampasas for six years, and an assistant coach at Lometa for five years. This year he is back as the head coach for the boys’ basketball team.

     “I was glad to come back to Lampasas because this is a great community. This community has great support, is an awesome school district to work in, and has great kids,” Nuckles said. “I require everyone to play hard for the team and give everything they have on the court.”

     The Badgers have put in long hours of practice   Their record is 17-9. Nuckles has been practicing with the boys since the beginning of school.

     “We work on a lot of skills and fundamentals, and in the off-season we hit the weights to build strength,” Nuckles said. “I expect us to be towards the top of the district standings. I expect us to have a play-off push once the post-season rolls around.”

     This is Nuckles first year coaching the Badger basketball team.

     “I’m excited to have Coach Nuckles,” senior Bryce Winter said. “He makes the sport fun for me because he doesn’t worry about one little mess up. He only worries about us playing hard and hypes us up.”

     Coach Jonathan Vanliew went to Tarleton State to play football and get a teaching degree.

     “Other than changing physical locations,” Van Liew said. “There’s also a lot more focus on what goes on outside of the classroom than inside. Initially I was going to finish my student teaching, but I had the opportunity to do an internship when Mr. Kehoe was here. My future high school self told me to never be a teacher.”

     Coach Vanliew has been coaching at the school for four years.

     “I think it’s cool that one of my coaches is a Lampasas alumni,” junior Dylan Kannon said. “Because he has been in the program before, I feel like he can always help the program.

     Coach James Allison has been a coach here for four years. He coaches cross country and has led the girls team to two consecutive state meets in the past two years.

     “Well I think it’s really cool to have a coach that is from Lampasas and graduated here,” sophomore Annabelle Brack said. “Coach Allison encourages and inspires me all the time because he loves his job, he loves the sport, and he loves to run just as much as we do. At practices, he doesn’t just give us a workout, he also runs with us and is constantly encouraging us to do our best. I can honestly say that our cross country would not be the same without Coach Allison.”