By Robin Gamble

Bullard High School hosted a meet and greet for two new coaches on June 11th in their school gymnasium from 5:30-6:30 P.M. Parents and players showed up to welcome the coaches and ask questions.

Cassidy Wilcoxson is the new tennis coach for Bullard ISD, serving as the head coach for both Bullard High and Bullard Middle. She brings three years of teaching and coaching experience, previously leading the boys’ tennis team at Kilgore ISD to regional semi-finals. She will teach forensic science at Bullard High and social studies at Bullard Middle. She joined the district due to the professional opportunity, the positive school culture, and the students. Coach Wilcoxson said she is excited to work with the tennis team and to continue to build the program.

Tennis parent, Melissa Roberts, said she is excited for a new change. Roberts is looking forward to someone to encourage and challenge the players and continue to grow the program. Her son is a junior on the team.

Luke Nichols is the new cross country coach and the new assistant girls’ basketball coach. Nichols brings nine years of teaching and coaching experience, with the most recent stint being with Mount Enterprise ISD. He will be teaching health classes at Bullard High. Nichols said he used to be a roommate of one of the coaches at Bullard and that’s how he learned of the opportunity to be the assistant girls’ basketball coach. From there, cross country was added to his duties which is what he wanted.

Nichols said his goal walking into a successful program is to build off of that, first with individual successes and then team successes.

Effective communication is a shared priority for both Coach Wilcoxson and Coach Nichols. Both shared that they could be reached by email and parent square through the school. Both coaches expressed their eagerness to get started with practices and seeing the talent they will be working with in the programs.