Salado Eagle Head Football Coach Alan Haire told his players this morning that he has accepted the position of Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach for the new Chaparral High School in Killeen ISD, set to open in the fall.

He leaves his hometown school after six seasons, where he has posted a record of 49-23. His Eagles won District Championships in 2017 and 2020 and were second place in 2021 behind the 4A Div. II State Champions China Spring Cougars. 

The 2017 Eagles were 4A, Div. II State Quarter-Finalists with a 12-2 record. 

The 2020 Eagles were 4A, Div. II Regional Finalists with an 11-2 record losing to State Champions Carthage. 

Haire came home to Salado from Stephenville, where he was the Athletic Director of a program that now has six state championships in football, most recently in 2021 in 4A-Div. I, as well as a 2003 state champ volleyball team.

In his final season at Salado, two of the four losses came at the hands of eventual State Champions: Div. 1 Stephenville and Div. 2 China Spring.

For a very short stint, he was head football coach and director of football operations at Mabank High School prior to going to Stephenville in March 2015.

Haire was the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director for the Lago Vista Vikings for 13 seasons. He took over a fledgling young football program in a tough central Texas district.

Haire’s Vikings were the Class 2A, Div. State Semi-finalists in 2010, with a 13-1 record, Regional Finalists in 2011 with a 10-2 record and again in 2012 with a 9-4 record. The Vikings had three straight district championships in football in 2009-2011.

Haire was named the 2A Coach of the Year by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football magazine for 2010.

He also earned Coach of the Year nods at the District level in 2009-2011.

A 1988 graduate of Salado, he played football at Tarleton State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1993 and a Master of Education in 1994.

After a year at the tiny Morgan Mill ISD, he came to Salado, coaching for the Eagles from 1994 to 2000. The Eagles went to the playoffs five times and were bi-district champions three times.

Haire was the Offensive Coordinator here in Salado.

He was also the head boys basketball coach, where the Eagles won their first district championship in 15 years.

“I am proud of being from Salado,” Alan Haire said. “I am proud of playing Eagle Football and I want the kids to feel the same way.”

And they should. Under Haire’s leadership in Salado, the Eagles overcame a six-year skid and became a well-respected opponent few teams would want to face.

Haire told me that he looks forward to building a program from its beginning, which is the challenge he will face at the new Chaparral High School. 

The Chaparral Bobcats will play in District 11-5A, Div. 2 where they will face Belton, Elgin, Leander Rouse, Pflugerville, Pflugerville Connally and Waco University.

Haire said he will continue to live in Salado as his wife Angie works in Belton and his youngest son Hutton will graduate from Salado in the spring.

His older son, Hayden took snaps as quarterback of the Eagles’ Slot T offense for the first two seasons of Haire’s tenure. Hutton took over as a freshmen and was a four-year starting quarterback of the Eagles.