BRAHMA PRIDE — New KISD athletic director and head football coach Robert Wilcox, right, is enlisting local businesses to promote Brahma Pride. Pictured is Jerry Miller, left, owner of CB’s Barbecue, who will take part in the program and displayed a Brahma football jersey. (Photo by Erika Hernandez) New Kingsville school district athletic director Robert E. Wilcox has visited 21 businesses, three churches and encouraged a banker to donate a scoreboard.

He’s also given away 16 Brahma football jerseys throughout the community.

Not only that, but this energetic individual has also developed a new athlete handbook, and he has done all of this in six weeks since he was hired.

“It’s a great day to be Brahma,” Wilcox told the Kingsville Independent School District board of trustees at a workshop held June 29.

“We’re going in a new direction, rising to the new level of expectation,” Wilcox said.

“We are raising the bar for our coaches and our kids.”

Wilcox revealed the new KISD athlete handbook that he compiled from different handbooks is aimed at parents and students so they will know the specific rules and regulations of being a Brahma athlete.

“I believe you should have a mandatory meeting with parents,” Wilcox said. He wants parents to know pertinent facts such as UIL eligibilities. He said he deals with parents on an honest and sensitive level.

He has new requirements and expectations of the coaches.

“I expect them to be professional, dress professional and act professional,” said Wilcox who wore a dark suit and tie during the presentation. He believes everyone needs to be on the same page.

“We try to service our customers because, without our kids, we would have a hard time having our jobs,” he said.

Wilcox also reported on the athletes’ summer camp. Last year they had an enrollment of 47 students participate in the program. This year they have 112 students.

“You are expected to be here for camp, and you are expected to be the best,” is the message he relates to the athletes.

Apparently, he demonstrated his interpersonal and presentation skills effectively in the community because he encouraged Joe Henkel, Kleberg Bank president, to donate a scoreboard for the MoPac field worth $8,000.

He wants to increase community support for the KISD athletic program. Wilcox visited 22 businesses and gave away 16 Brahma football jerseys so they can display them in their businesses. He also visited three different churches soliciting support for the KISD sports program.

As a cost effective measure for KISD, he wants the coaches to obtain a CDL, a commercial driver’s license.

He said after the meeting that he has worked and lived in small communities like Kingsville. He was raised in Jasper, Texas and graduated from high school there.

He joins the KISD staff with 16 years experience as head coach and athletic coordinator/director, 103-72 record including 5 district championships, 5 bi-district championships, 4 regional championships and 3 state quarterfinalists.

His last position was serving as athletic coordinator and head football coach at McNeil High School with the Round Rock ISD in Round Rock.

Wilcox has already spruced up the H.M. King High School athletic department. He had the coaches’ offices re-carpeted and the lockers painted. Each locker will display a sign that states: “Mediocrity is not accepted.” Mosquitoes