Vincenzo Cox had no interest in coaching. None.
For the former collegiate track and field standout at the University of Houston who was in the 1996 Olympic Trials as a hurdler and later had soccer tryouts with the KC Wizards and Columbus Crew, he was ready to put his athletic life behind him and move into the education world as a high school teacher.
Now, 12 years later, he’s the ALL-USA High School Boys Soccer Coach of the Year after leading Elsik (Alief, Texas) to a 25-0-2 season and the program’s first ever state title.
“The first two years, I had no interest in coaching,” he said. “I didn’t see myself as a coach. Other coaches at Elsik knew my background so they started asking me to help out a day here, a day there. Then I worked with one kid, then two … I never went into it to be a coach, but then it happened. I just use all of my experiences from track and soccer, and I put it together.”