From Edinburg High School to UT

EDINBURG - Every good coach has to get his or her start somewhere.

And for Fred Akers, the former University of Texas coach, that start came at Edinburg High in the early 1960s.

As the Star's "By the Numbers" series rolls on to No. 44, Akers' head coaching stint with the Bobcats from 1962-64 (44 seasons ago) is in the spotlight.

Akers' teams went 18-10-1 in his three seasons at Edinburg. After leaving the Valley, Akers had one stint at Lubbock High School before landing on Darrell Royal's staff at Texas from 1966-74.

After a 2-year stay as Wyoming's head coach (10-13 record), he gained notoriety around the country when he became the Longhorns' head coach from 1977-86.

At Texas, Akers coached Heisman winner Earl Campbell in 1977 and had the Longhorns on the cusp of national titles in 1978 and 1984 (Cotton Bowl each time.)

On both occasions, Texas went undefeated in the regular season only to drop the season-ending bowl game.

And while some say he didn't live up to the expectations set by his predecessor Royal, Akers still had a sparkling record with Texas.

But high school is where the legend started. While his stay in the Valley coaching ranks was brief, Akers left quite the impression with those he coached.

While Edinburg competed in District 14-4A's South Zone, Akers guided the Bobcats to a 6-2-1 mark in his first season in 1962.

Edinburg finished second to a standout Brownsville High team that year.

After a 5-5 mark in 1963, Akers' Edinburg team finished second to McAllen in the league with a 7-3 mark. A season-ending loss to the Bulldogs eliminated them from a title chance. Back then only the champion advanced to the postseason. McHi advanced to the third round that year.

Edinburg fielded the league's top defense in points allowed, giving up only 80 (34 in district).

Key members of that 1964 Bobcat team included end Rene Alaniz, guard Jesus Luna, linebacker Tom Gernentz and halfback Dan McQuay, as each earned first-team 14-4A All-District honors.

Although his tenure didn't produce a playoff appearance while at Edinburg, Akers did help groom some of the biggest names in Valley football.

Robert Vela, a legendary coach in his own right, who succumbed to cancer last year, was quick to list Akers as a mentor. Vela coached at Edcouch-Elsa and later Edinburg.

Vela's brother Pete does the same. Pete was an all-district end in 1964 under Akers. He later was a successful head coach at Mercedes and McAllen Memorial.

Robert Alaniz, the former Edinburg North head coach and current ECISD athletic director, was also a standout end for Akers.

And earlier this year, at a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of U.S. Marine Sgt. Freddy Gonzalez's heroism, Akers, who coached Gonzalez, spoke highly of the Edinburg hero, who was killed in Vietnam but saved many lives in the process.

So while his term may not have been lengthy, Akers' mark on Valley high school football still stands today.