LONGVIEW, Texas — Seven new members were inducted into the East Texas Coaches Association (ETCA) Hall of Honor Sunday at the Holiday Inn North Infinity Event Center in Longview.
The new inductees were:
- Former Kilgore High School football coach Mike Vallery
- Former Marshall High School head football coach Dennis Parker
- Former Nacogdoches High School assistant head coach Clarence McMichael
- Football official Bobby Bain
- Former Tyler Legacy High School, LSU and NFL quarterback player Matt Flynn
- Tyler Morning Telegraph sports editor Phil Hicks
Also recognized at the event was the 2022 state champion Carthage Bulldogs football team.
“We started this 2013 to have a voice," ETCA president and Longview High School head football coach John King said. "This association has grown and we've got great representation for our coaches and our athletes, so it just a way for us to network and and keep East Texas football where it needs to be on top of the state.”
Flynn was a standout quarterback for the Red Raiders, who went on to win two BCS National Championships in 2003 and 2007. In the 2007 championship, Flynn was named offensive MVP.
Flynn was drafted with the third pick in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the backup quarterback to Aaron Rodgers when the Packers won Super Bowl XLV.
With all Flynn's accomplishments, he credits East Texas for his success.
“East Texas, in my opinion, has the greatest football in the country," Flynn said. "So as far as being prepared for the next step when I went to college and then into the pros, i was as prepared as any high school kid can be.”
Hicks received the Distinguished Service Award for covering East Texas for 39 years.
“What a tremendous honor," Hicks said. "I can't even express how honored I am to receive this award.”
In his 39 years at the Tyler Morning Telegraph, Hicks has covered every inductee named to this year's Hall of Honor class.
“I did everyone, even Coach Surratt from Carthage winning another state title," Hicks said. "I covered Matt Flynn back when he was in Hubbard middle school, I remember him there," Hicks said.
As Flynn attests, the ETCA continues to honor one of the most important positions in all of sports.
"The coaches impact at the high school level is the greatest impact from a life standpoint that any coach at any level has," Flynn expressed.
The ETCA supports coaches, parents, and student athletes through the promotion of football in East Texas; professional development for coaches; provision of scholarships and financial aid to coaches in times of personal tragedy.