Marble Falls volleyball seeking new coach

CAPTION: Kait Goertz is transitioning to an assistant track and field coach and will remain an assistant basketball coach at Marble Falls High School. Photo by Christopher A. Miles/Christopher A. Miles Photography

The Marble Falls Independent School District is hiring a new volleyball head coach, a position the school district posted March 21.

Kait Goertz, who is finishing her sixth year at the school district with much of that as the program’s volleyball head coach, will now be an assistant track-and-field coach and remain an assistant girls basketball coach, athletic director Keri Timmerman said.

Among the qualifications he’s looking for in the next head coach go back to the school district’s motto and his four pillars found in Luke 2:52. Both encompass young people growing mentally, socially, spiritually and personally, Timmerman added.

“We want to find somebody to love and inspire kids,” he said. “I told all of our coaches the philosophy of our program is to live and die by Luke 2:52.”

He encourages his coaches to install those principles their own way in each sport.

“We want to give our coaches the autonomy,” he said.

Timmerman noted the position has plenty of positives. The biggest is campus and district leadership, he said.

“It’s a great district to be,” he said. “I think you have great administrative support. The first question I answer is ‘how’s the principal?’ I’ve worked with a lot of great ones, and (MFHS Principal Patrick A. Hinson) is up there for sure.”

The other positives are the Lady Mustangs themselves, the athletic director said.

“Our kids are really excited and hungry to be successful,” he said. “We feel like we’re a win or two away from going a round or two. It’s a great opportunity for someone to come in and build something special. We have to take advantage of the opportunities and push the kids because they want it.”

Goertz was on former head coach Tanya Powers’ staff when Powers accepted the same job at Llano High School in April 2020. Soon after, Goertz took over the program.

The 2023 Lady Mustangs featured one of the most experienced rosters in recent program history with nine seniors. Marble Falls (9-22, 2-8) swept Lampasas and needed to beat Lago Vista at least once to force a play-in match for the final playoff berth. Instead, the Lady Mustangs lost 17-25, 13-25, 19-25 at home Oct. 3 and 17-25, 25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 10-15 on the road Oct. 20.

Still, there were important milestones in the program under Goertz’s watch. The first was taking third in the silver bracket at the Tournament By the Bay in August and beating Lampasas 25-23, 25-14, 25-23 Oct. 6 to end a 62-match losing streak in district play. That losing streak dated back to when the seniors were in the seventh grade, a byproduct of competing in District 25-5A for years. That district, which featured Georgetown East View, Georgetown High, Leander High, Leander Glenn, Leander Rouse and Liberty Hill, was thought of by observers as one of the best in the state in any classification.

Timmerman believes the next coach will guide the Lady Mustangs to take the next necessary step to be great.

“Good coaching is good coaching anywhere,” he said. “Good coaches are good coaches. We want to give people some freedom, make clear what to do, and make it better.”

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