Faith Academy boys hoops coach Revelle wins state award

CAPTION: Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball head coach Zakk Revelle was recently received a state-wide award. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Faith Academy of Marble Falls boys basketball head coach Zakk Revelle is the 2023-24 recipient of the Don Coleman Outstanding Coach Award for mid-size private schools.

The award is presented by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

“It was a really neat award to be honored with coming into the year and what we were able to do,” Revelle said.

The 2023-24 season was thought of as a rebuild for the Flames. Instead, they added district championship No. 5 in a row with the district’s Most Valuable Player, freshman guard Will Slyker, and the district’s most intimidating player, sophomore center Judah Phillips.

TABC named Slyker to its first team all-state, while Phillips was honorable mention and junior guard Asher Apel was named academic all-state.

After the championship was clinched, Revelle revealed what this title this season meant to the program.

“This one meant a whole lot,” he said in February. “This is the toughest district we’ve been in, top to bottom. It’s the most talented. We have four teams ranked in the top 10. To go 4-2 against the top 10 is awesome. A lot of our competitors said a lot about where this group is at. I was told this was a rebuild year, this is the gap year. It felt really good. If this is a rebuild year, it says a lot about our program.”

Nominations for the Don Coleman Outstanding Coach Award are given by TABC members and include the name and team of the candidate and why they’re being nominated. A committee makes the selection. In all, 16 Outstanding Coach Awards are presented with 12 going to those coaching programs that are members of the University Interscholastic League. The other four are for those coaching at private schools.

“I’m very appreciative of whomever put me up for it,” Revelle said. “You’re voted on by your peers, the people who watch and think you’re doing your job.”

The way Revelle found out he’d won also made him laugh.

He received an email from TABC about it and was told to look for the official announcement in the next newsletter.

“I didn’t read the email correctly,” he said with a chuckle. “I thought it was for something else, and I deleted it.”

Later on, Stuart Dixon, who was an assistant coach on Burnet High School boys basketball head coach Roy Kiser’s staff when Revelle was a student, contacted his old pupil to congratulate him.

Revelle thanked him and asked, “For what?”

That’s when Dixon called to tell him.

“It was a neat deal to find out from a former coach,” Revelle said.

He’ll receive the award during the TABC clinic May 17.

Revelle noted this award is one he shares with the staff, particularly assistant coach Malcolm Canada, Faith Academy Administrator Amy Cosby and those who help ensure the athletic department and the basketball program have what is needed to succeed. In addition, he thanked former staff member Randy Denton for hiring him, Kiser and Dixon, who all serve as mentors.

“Coach Canada is as much the award winner as I am,” Revelle said. “It took more than one coach on the staff. I’m blessed. It takes a village. It’s not just me. When I go over what we want to do, it’s way more than me. It feels like all those others should get one, too.”

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