Lamar Houston Reaches 100th Career Victory as Head Coach

Strategic Insights -

Lamar Houston's passion for soccer was ignited when he was just four years old, playing in the YMCA's five-year-old division. He fell in love with the game and went on to coach his first team as a freshman in college. Now, with over a decade of coaching experience, Houston has reached a milestone - his 100th career victory as a head coach. This achievement comes after eight years as the head coach of the Allen East girls team, two years with the boys team, and one season with the Bath girls team.

Key Takeaways:

  • Houston started coaching at the YMCA, where he began playing at the age of four, and later moved to club soccer with the Ohio Extreme.
  • Ali Davoudi, his college coach, inspired him to pursue coaching as a career, and he has been a part of the game ever since.
  • Houston's first year as a high school head coach was also the first year of the Allen East girls soccer program, which was initially struggling but eventually improved after introducing freshmen to the team.
  • He won 73 games in eight seasons with the Allen East girls team and 14 with the boys in two years before resigning to be an assistant coach for a season.
  • Houston was drawn back to Bath High School to coach the girls team, citing the program's previous success, talented athletes, and strong support from the athletic director and parents.
  • He currently coaches the Bath Wildcats, who return all but two starters from a team that finished third in the 2023 WBL standings and is off to a 2-1 start this season.

Statistics:

  • Houston has won 100 games as a head coach.
  • He won 73 games in eight seasons with the Allen East girls team.
  • He won 14 games with the Allen East boys team in two years.
  • The first game he won as a head coach was against Ada in 2011, where his team finished 4-10-2 that year and Houston was voted Coach of the Year.
  • The Bath Wildcats return all but two starters from a team that finished third in the 2023 WBL standings.
  • The team is off to a 2-1 start this season and is set to open conference play against Van Wert next week.

Sources:

  • The Lima News (Lima, Ohio)
  • Lara Ambler, "Lamar Houston Net,” (c)2024 The Lima News (Lima, Ohio)
  • Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.