In the 15 years Coach Saxe has been here at Akins, hes had a huge impact on our students, teachers, and community. So many students and staff expressed sadness when he announced that he accepted a position in Corpus Christi. We interviewed him for the last time about his time here and his new beginnings.
EE: You’ve been the heart of Akins football for 15 years. As you look back, how has the program evolved from your first day to now?
Coach Saxe: When I first got to Akins, they had been on a 38-game losing streak, and everyone kind of told me, “Why are you taking this job?” I’m the type of person that’s gonna do it, and that’s what I instill in our kids, from first day to now, it really was just the belief in the kids, when I first got here, Akins was kind of a revolving door of coaches. Coaches just weren’t here to stay. It was you were here one year and then you left, and so the kids didn’t have a lot of buy-in. I told myself, they needed more consistency in their life. Being able to bring in coaches who have been here day in and day out with these kids. Especially football has really helped just shape the culture that we have because the kids just know that you’re there for the right reasons, and when you can be that to them, and they know how much you care, then they care about what you know.
EE: Beyond football, what is the single most important lesson you helped your players carry with them?
Coach Saxe: When we talk about wings up, the three fingers that are up, it’s just love, learning, and leading. That circle just stands that they continue with proof or something that you do forever. The brotherhood that we have for one another, the love for your school, the love of the process of just trying to do things the right way. To be lifelong learners, we never know enough about both characters, academics, football knowledge, or whatever sport you play. Then you gotta learn your community too and see where we have the opportunity for that last one to lead. Our kids lead both on and off the field, and you have to teach them how to do that, as you’re continuously always do that, you’ll always soar, you always fly high, so when we say wings up, you know, I just I hope they always remember truly what that means, and that’s to love, learn, lead, and forever.
EE: What’s next for you, both personally and professionally?
Coach Saxe: I’ve accepted the assistant director of athletics position for Corpus Christi ISD. I’ll start there on October 1st. Becoming an athletic director is a a lifelong dream of mine and it’s something that I went to school for, something that, for the last 15 years, building up to that moment because ultimately I want to become an executive director of athletics for a large school district, and just coach coaches and make sure we’re putting the systems in place to make every campus to be the best version of themselves. I’m just very, very fortunate for this. These jobs and opportunities don’t come open very often, so being offered the opportunity, it’s just life-changing for me and my family. I always tell our kids to reach for their goals and their dreams and dream big, and this was always one for me. To reach it, it’s definitely a very bittersweet experience because of my time here, pouring into this community. I know it’s going to open up just a better future for my son, my wife, myself. We love the beach and when you can do what you love in an area that you love, we love central Texas and we’ve been here 20 plus years and we wouldn’t trade any of that for anything. Just getting down there and enjoying the coastal life and fishing, and beach. It’s just something I’m very excited about.
EE: What message would you like to share with your past and present players to students in the entire Akins High School community?
Coach Saxe: Just so grateful for all the time spent with this community, this school, they took me in, and I was a student teacher, and I didn’t want to be anywhere else. It was never about chasing titles because I coached so many different sports. I always wanted every kid to be successful in what they did and learn the character piece as well. I just hope they learned it much for me and I learned from them. You know, they challenged me, they made me better. We won a lot of games together. We were on the other end of it a lot of times together, but we always fought through it together. I just hope they know how much I love them and I’m always here for them, even from afar. Anything I can ever do for them in their future. They just have to reach out to them. I’m a phone call away. I’m a text away. I’m always here to. As I go into a district executive position, I won’t be on the sidelines anymore, and I’m okay with that because some of my best memories on the sidelines were with these guys. I love you all and thank you for everything.
