Two Staffers Win Awards
By Jeanne Acton | Monday, October 13, 2008 12:18 PM
Two UIL staff members received very prestigious awards in conjunction with the 2008 Coaching School in San Antonio this past summer. Both Cliff Odenwald and Dr. Mark Cousins of the UIL athletic staff were recognized at the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Honor Banquet for their outstanding service to high school athletics in Texas.
Cliff Odenwald, UIL Associate Athletic Director, was inducted in to the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association (THSADA) Hall of Honor. Odenwald was one of only four inductees for 2008 and was nominated by the THSADA Awards Committee and then approved by the THSADA Board of Directors. After beginning his coaching career at Abilene Wylie High School in 1978, he went on to become Assistant Athletic Director at Garland ISD in 1993 and then Athletic Director at Plano ISD until joining the UIL staff in 2007. Odenwald is the longest serving President in THSADA history, serving 19 months in 2004-05, and before that, was Vice-President and Regional Director.
“I am honored and humbled to be inducted into such a prestigious group of athletic administrators from across the state,” said Odenwald. “After being an athlete, and knowing you can’t play forever, being a coach is all I really ever wanted to be. I always thought I would be a coach until the end of my career, but your goals change as you get older and go through your career. Looking back now, I feel privileged to have done what I have and be where I am.”
UIL Athletic Coordinator Dr. Mark Cousins was given the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) Distinguished Service Award in the Non-NIAAA Member category by the THSADA at the Hall of Honor Banquet. The NIAAA Distinguished Service Award is presented annually to individuals outside the field of athletic administration, as well as NIAAA members in recognition of their length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state and national levels. Nominations are submitted by state athletic director associations, screened by the Awards Committee, and selected by the Board of Directors.
Dr. Cousins began his tenure at the UIL as an intern in the UIL athletic department in 1994 and was promoted to different positions until becoming Athletic Coordinator in 2004. Dr. Cousins is responsible for the sports of baseball and soccer, and handles no-pass, no-play and legislative issues for the UIL.
“It is a great honor to receive the Distinguished Service Award for the NIAAA, and I’m especially thankful because it came from the THSADA,” said Dr. Cousins. “I am lucky to be a part of the UIL staff and to be able to work with the great school people of Texas in serving our students.”
We congratulate both Cliff Odenwald and Dr. Mark Cousins on their prestigious awards in recognition of their extraordinary work.