David C. Houle, born in 1953 in
Dugway, Utah
Dugway is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Tooele County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,016, at the 2000 census, a modest increase over the 1990 figure of 1,761. The town is located inside the United States Army's large ...
, is a prominent high school coach in the United States known for his extensive success in girls'
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
,
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
, and
cross-country
Cross country or cross-country may refer to:
Places
* Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland
* Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY
* Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...
. Houle has achieved over 1,000 victories throughout his coaching career, which includes an impressive tally of 68 state championships and 7 national championships.
Houle commenced his coaching career at the age of 12 in 1965 and has since been recognized for his achievements by being inducted into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Houle accumulated numerous state championships, earning recognition from ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' as one of the most successful high school coaches in America.
He contributed to
Mountain View High School (Utah)
Mountain View High School (MVHS) is located in Orem, Utah, United States. It is part of Utah County's Alpine School District. The school first opened its doors to the graduating class of 1980–81. Every year students from Orem Junior High and L ...
athletes' success in boys' and girls' track and cross-country, as well as girls' basketball, securing a total of 68 state championships and numerous regional trophies. In 2002, following the boys' cross-country national title, he received the Coach of the Year award. His athletes were recognized for their sportsmanship and community service in Orem City.
Houle resigned in 2006 amid allegations of inappropriate conduct during a road trip with his basketball team. Houle reportedly permitted two girls, who were allegedly unwell, to sleep in his room while he patrolled the hotel lobby throughout the night to keep them separated from the rest of the team. This action violated several rules regarding team members' use of his hotel room. Despite receiving aggressive recruitment offers from other schools during his coaching tenure, Houle chose to remain dedicated to his passion and later transitioned to working at a nearby private school.
In his concluding days as a coach, Houle remarked, "I'm 52, and I hope to die at 92, so I have 40 good years left of coaching." Currently, Houle resides in
American Fork, Utah
American Fork is a city in north-central Utah County, Utah, United States, at the foot of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch Range, north from Utah Lake. This city is thirty-two miles southeast of Salt Lake City. It is part of the Provo–Ore ...
.
Southern Utah University
Houle served as the coach for the junior varsity basketball team at
Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University (SUU) is a public university in Cedar City, Utah. Founded in 1897 as a normal school, Southern Utah University now graduates over 1,800 students each year with baccalaureate and graduate degrees from its six colleges. ...
from 1976 to 1977.
Milford High School
Houle coached high school football at Milford High School from 1977 to 1978.
Carbon High School
Houle coached football and basketball at Carbon High School from 1978 to 1979.
College of Eastern Utah
Houle served as a football coach at the
College of Eastern Utah
Utah State University Eastern (USU Eastern) is a public regional college within the Utah State Universitybr>system The USU Eastern campus is located in Price, Utah, United States. Founded as Carbon College in 1937, the college joined the Universi ...
from 1978 to 1979.
Mountain View High School
During his tenure at
Mountain View High School (Utah)
Mountain View High School (MVHS) is located in Orem, Utah, United States. It is part of Utah County's Alpine School District. The school first opened its doors to the graduating class of 1980–81. Every year students from Orem Junior High and L ...
from 1980 to 2006, the athletic program gained recognition on a national scale. The school achieved national championships in boys' cross-country (3) and girls' cross-country (3). Additionally, they secured an
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
National Championship in girls' basketball in 2001. The program also set numerous national records, contributing to its widespread recognition across the country.
Utah Valley University
From 2007 to 2009, Houle served as an assistant track coach at
Utah Valley University
Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008.
History ...
.
Kennesaw State University
From 2010 to 2011, Houle worked as an assistant men's basketball coach at
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was fou ...
.
Awards
Dale Rexbr>
Dale Rex Award
References
External links
2002 Coach of the YearCoach Houle's Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Houle, Coach
1953 births
Living people
People from Tooele County, Utah
High school basketball coaches in the United States
American track and field coaches