Morton ISD has brought in Keith Mauldin to serve as the new athletic director for the future of the program.
Mauldin is new to high school sports, but that doesn’t mean he does not have the desire and drive to take on new challenges.
When asked about why he took the job, he said it was a combination of multiple things, but mostly it was somewhere he could see himself be set for a while.
“There were a lot of things that I liked, when I was applying for coaching jobs,” said Mauldin. “Morton offered a roster that has a young group that’s willing to learn and grow. Having watched a lot of their film as well as looking at their academics, I also saw a very supportive community and a good place for me to get my start as a head coach.”
As much as he liked the school, it seemed like he enjoyed the community even more. From the amount of fans he thinks there will be, to the amount of time and money the community has put in for the new facility; Mauldin believes there will be an upward trend in Morton.
“The more I’m around the facilities and town, the more I can see how much they’ve invested and just how excited they are to be here,” said Mauldin. “It’s not just football. Football is a big part of it, but they are excited about everything and that’s what I hope to bring.”
It is Mauldin’s hope to bring a culture that is invested in all sports for the boys and girls side while also helping the academic side of the students growth.
When asked about the students and what he thinks of them, he feels he was blessed to have such a group of students.
With a bigger class than normal that the coaching staff can build on, and Mauldin feels that this years group of kids aren’t afraid to work and show some grit.
“We’ve started summer workouts on the boys and girls side, but some of them are working so they can’t always come,” explained Mauldin. “The great thing about these kids is that they are coming at different times so they can make up for it.”
Mauldin has been bouncing around already in the beginning of summer with the various summer workouts for students in all of their sports.
“Ranging from skill sessions, seven-on-seven, summer basketball and conditioning, I have had the opportunity to be around these kids quite a bit,” says Mauldin. “I think this small town is about to have a lot of success; it’s a sleeping giant. We have all of our returning cast except for two seniors that are going to leave us.”
The remaining portion of their roster consists of 11 juniors, seven sophomores and 16 freshmen.
“The numbers are there; those are just the kids playing football” explained Mauldin. “The kids are interested in building this the right way and there’s genuine enthusiasm watching them compete in competition. I’m excited for what’s to come and I’m ready to get started on it.”
Coach Mauldin is excited to come back home to west Texas and get a legacy started here in Morton. He will get his first full season this year in all sports and be able to train and teach the kids valuable lessons as the year goes by.