By LANCE FLEMING
Abilene ISD Communications
In Larry McMurtry’s acclaimed novel Lonesome Dove, an epitaph of a beloved character reads, “Cheerful in all weather, never shirked a task. Splendid behavior.”
Though Abilene ISD Assistant Athletic Director Del Van Cox is only retiring at the end of June, similar words could describe a man whose impactful career spans over three decades.
“The biggest thing that sticks out to me, and always will, is his work ethic,” former Abilene High School Head Football Coach Steve Warren said. “I have never seen a coach work as hard at doing laundry, marking a field, picking up trash, or teaching a math class as Del Van. He was an excellent offensive coordinator but also excellent at anything he was tasked to do. Del Van would do anything you asked and then some.”
Cox also knew the right time to lighten the mood. In the nearly 20 years the two worked together, Warren said Cox could be counted on to display his signature sense of humor, even over the headset during a tense moment of a football game.
“I would ask him a serious question about a play or something, and he would say, ‘Hold on a second; let me finish these nachos, and I’ll let you know,’” Warren said. “He was so good at making you lighten up some when you needed it.”
Those two characteristics – his work ethic and sense of humor – are synonymous with Cox, but his work ethic is second nature, learned from his parents. Cox’s father, Corky, was a renowned girls’ basketball coach, and his mother worked in school auxiliary roles before earning her teaching degree. His parents’ careers took them to Aspermont, Paducah, Jayton, Chico, Klondike, Plains, Lamesa, and S&S Consolidated before the family in Merkel in 1989.
The life of an educator – and the work ethic that comes with it – are all Cox ever knew. He chose to follow in his parents’ footprints while studying at Angelo State University, where he graduated in 1992. After he earned his degree, he coached under Warren in Rotan for two years before joining the coaching staff in Mineral Wells alongside Head Coach Phil Blue. Eventually, all four men would reunite in Abilene ISD, where they established a legacy of service to others in Abilene ISD and Abilene High School athletics.
Cox has held many roles in Abilene ISD athletics: receivers coach, offensive coordinator, head coach, and assistant athletics director. In four seasons as the head coach, Cox led the Eagles to a 26-18 record, two playoff berths, and one district title.
“It’s a great feeling to walk in every day knowing the people you work with are riding for the same brand, and that’s about the coaches and the kids in the system,” Abilene ISD Executive Director of Athletics James Garfield said. “As the assistant AD, it didn’t matter to Del Van which school you represented when you had an issue. He was going to treat everyone fairly and appropriately.”
Cox said he knew earlier this year the time was near for him to step away and find something new to challenge him. He and Garfield helped lead the district through building a new press box at Shotwell Stadium and the construction of new multi-purpose indoor facilities at Abilene High School and Cooper. The timing, he said, was just right.
“I’ve always heard that when you know, you know, and at some point earlier this year, I knew it was time,” he said. “It’s time to do something different and freshen up my mind. I’ve got some things lined up where I can still help people in the coaching community, but my wife (Chris) will stay in Abilene. This place has been very good to us.”
And what about that first day of retirement? Or the first time he can go to a game at Shotwell and not have any duties other than to sit and watch the game as a fan?
“Both of those sound pretty great,” Cox said. “Although, I thought I would try retirement during Spring Break. So on Sunday night, I sat down and made a list of things I wanted to do on Monday, thinking it would take most of the day. I finished the list by 9:30 a.m. and had nothing else to do. In retirement, nothing says you have to get everything done right away.”
