LEAVING BEHIND A LEGACY

Legendary Weimar coach retires after 24 years

After 24 great years coaching at Weimar High School, Roger Maupin decided to call it a career.

The decision came after the Weimar Ladycats were eliminated in the Regional Finals and Maupin said it was not an easy decision for him but knew that it was time to ride into the sunset.

“I guess you never really know if it was the right decision or not,” Maupin said. “I think Mother’s Day, I sat down with my family, and we talked about it.”

Maupin spent 24 years at Weimar High School but has 32 overall years of coaching under his belt. He started out in Brazos Valley and made his way to Anderson Shiro where he was an assistant volleyball coach before he was tipped off to a job opening in Weimar, and the rest is history.

Maupin spent 24 years in Weimar after he was hired by Jon Wunderlich and Kent Bowermon in 2001. In that time, he has an overall record of 935 wins 381 losses and nine ties, as well as 21 Regional tournament appearances (made 11 of the last 12 in softball), 11 State tournament appearances and five State Championships between softball and basketball.

He said Weimar is forever home to him because from day one the city of Weimar welcomed him as if he was one of their own. He has never forgotten that feeling and has stayed coaching at Weimar for that exact reason.

“I have had opportunities to leave, and I tell people all the time Weimar is different. From what the community expects, what the people expect, what the staff expects and what they are willing to do for you,” Maupin said. “It was never about the money. Weimar is just a different place.”

Weimar is home to some passionate people, no matter what they are doing expect them to bring their best especially when it comes to the Wildcats and the Ladycats. Maupin said because the fans and the people of the community were so passionate, it was easy for him to incorporate that passion in his message that he tells his players.

He said many of Weimar’s athletic teams had successful seasons with some making it to the State tournament or have won a State title in recent memory.

“That’s just what is expected. Failure really isn’t an option,” Maupin said.

On top of the passion Maupin said he learned two things throughout his career that coaches should be telling their players.

“One thing we tell them is that we all have a story to tell, and really our seniors every year tell the story. I think that’s what drives a lot of kids, what do they get or have to say when they get their chance in athletics, in their last and final day or their last week and actually tell their story,” Maupin said as he fought back tears. “The other thing is to dream. There are so many dream stealers out there. We put the dream inside of them an let them know that dreams do come true.”

Maupin is very familiar with dream stealers as he encountered one early in his career that shifted the way he looks at coaching. Maupin said this interaction stung and made him very emotional when talking about it.

He said he felt like his dream was being stolen from him and he never wanted any of his players to feel how he felt.

“Early in my career I had an Athletic Director try to steal my dream, he actually told me I couldn’t coach middle school basketball,” Maupin said with tears running down his face. “That was hard for a long time, there are always people in this world trying to take your dream. But Weimar is different, it wasn’t about anything other than the kids who wanted to just be successful.”

Maupin can now look back and see that the AD that told him that was not only out of line when he said it, but he was dead wrong about Maupin. He said the AD judged him off one game, which in hindsight was a blessing in disguise because he came to Weimar and won close to one thousand games and won five State Championships. Pretty good for a guy who was told he was not good enough for middle school basketball.

To win as much as Maupin has and to accomplish everything, he has made a lot of sacrifices. He said now that he has retired, he has more time to spend with his wife, children and grandchildren.

“I just want to thank my wife and kids. I missed a lot of my kids’ stuff so I could follow my dream,” an emotional Maupin said. “I am glad that they understand, and all my kids are in Weimar and my grandkids are here and they all live within five minutes from home.”

He said his wife had to do a lot by herself while he pursued coaching and gave a special thank you to her for her support.

“Coaching is not easy, and it is very difficult on the wives, and she had to do a lot by herself so I appreciate everything she has done for me throughout my career to help me achieve my dream,” Maupin said. “I am just so appreciative of my family, my mom, my dad, I got five brothers and sisters that were all very supportive.”

Maupin’s time in Weimar left a major impact on not just athletics but on the community, the people of Weimar have a great deal of respect for Maupin and because of that his legacy will live on forever in purple and yellow.