Reporter and KHBR Radio Personality: Jack Foley
June 16, 2022
Whitney Independent School District has announced that David Haynes Jr. has been selected to replace Mark Byrd as the new athletic director and head football coach of the Wildcats.
The 2004 McGregor High School graduate has spent 14 years as a coach, most recently as the defensive coordinator at Valley Mills High School. Prior to his time at Valley Mills, Coach Haynes was the head football coach at Marlin High School, where he led the Bulldogs to a playoff appearance in 2020, finishing second in the district.
On the football field the coach favors an up tempo offensive approach. “On offense we like to pop off a play as quick as we can and hopefully that translates into a lot of touchdowns,” said Haynes.
Wildcat fans can expect a multiple set defense with 4-3 and 3-4 sets deployed from week to week. The coach also likes to mix in a 3-3 stack to keep offenses guessing. Haynes said, “We’ll be moving players around and flying to the ball on Friday nights. That’s really my biggest points of emphasis, flying to the ball.”
Haynes said he was attracted to the Whitney position because of the history of great athletes. He added that his student athletes are already buying into the program. “We want to build on the recent success of the Wildcat program and really put Whitney on the map,” said Haynes.
Most athletic programs these days preach the benefits of creating a culture. Coach Haynes is no different, and it’s not just on the football field.
“We are going to be tough, mentally tough, weight room tough and we’re going to bring it in practice and on game day. I am talking about putting Whitney on the map in boys and girls sports. From the baseball and softball diamonds to the basketball programs, all of our student athletes are going to represent Whitney High School at a high level,” said Haynes.
Coach Haynes will bring his wife of 14 years with him along with their two sons and eight-month-old daughter.
His son David III won first-team Super Centex honors at linebacker as a sophomore at Valley Mills last year and is expected to play for the Wildcats.
The Lakelander 