Marble Falls soccer’s Hoover top coach
Marble Falls head soccer coach Rick Hoover is the Region 8 Soccer Coach of the Year. Courtesy photo
Marble Falls High School head soccer coach Rick Hoover is the Soccer Coach of the Year for Region 8 following a successful 2022-23 season for the boys’ squad. He was recognized by the school district on July 17 for the Texas High School Coaches Association honor.
The longtime coach led his team to a 20-6 record, including a season-ending 2-1 loss to Boerne in the Class 4A regional quarterfinals.
The award was voted on by soccer coaches statewide.
“It’s an honor,” Hoover told DailyTrib.com. “Anytime you can get recognized for something like that, it is a huge honor. I’m humbled by it.”
Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway believes Hoover’s award marks the first time any coach in the district has received such an honor.
“We are incredibly proud of Coach Hoover’s leadership on and off the field,” Gasaway said in a media release. “The difference he is making in the lives of these students is incredibly meaningful. The amount of love he shows is an example for us all to follow, and I am thankful other coaches from around Texas have taken notice as well. What an honor to have Coach Hoover in Marble Falls.”
Hoover gave all the credit to his players while being recognized at a Board of Trustees meeting on Monday.
“When you’ve got good kids, they make coaches look real good,” he told the board. “I hope I keep having good kids.”
Building strong connections with each of his players is key, Hoover said.
“It’s all about the relationships,” he said. “When you have a good relationship and you really connect with them on a personal level, you get so much more out of them. If there’s not a strong relationship, all the coaching in the world won’t do you any good.”
Although cliché, the coach views his team as family.
“I know that’s said all the time by people, but we really are,” he said.
Hoover’s personality is another plus for the program.
“He’s so good with his program and the community,” Athletic Director Brian Herman, who is also the head football coach, told DailyTrib.com. “He’s always smiling and easy to talk to. … When he’s in the building, he’s connecting with every kid.”
Hoover has been the head soccer coach for the past 10 years. He has also served in other capacities at MFISD, including as athletic director and special teams coordinator for the football team.
“I’m fortunate enough to have been here long enough to have coached entire families,” he said. “Big brothers, little brothers, uncles. It’s a special thing, really.”
In 2021, Hoover was promoted to director of Special Programs, which oversees safety and security on all MFISD campuses.
“I’m responsible to make sure that we are prepared for all of our emergency drills,” he said. “I make sure we’re prepared for fires, active shooters, and anything that could be problematic for our students and our staff.”
Herman said the athletic program is fortunate to have someone like Hoover.
“I’ve sat in his office and talked to him about handling all sorts of things,” the AD said. “He’s very much an inspiration.”