KENNETH “SKIP” PICKLE 2015 CHARLES VICKNAIR ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER SPONSORED BY LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE

Karla Wall Thursday, January 21, 2016 Comments Off on KENNETH “SKIP” PICKLE 2015 CHARLES VICKNAIR ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER SPONSORED BY LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE
KENNETH “SKIP” PICKLE 2015 CHARLES VICKNAIR ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER  SPONSORED BY LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE

 

Coach, Teacher, Role Model

By Karla Wall

pickle kinder helmet copy There’s probably little need to familiarize readers with Kinder High School’s football program and its amazing success over the last few years.

In 2013, the team beat Many High School to become the first from SWLA to win a state championship in 14 years. Head coach Bret Fuselier and his team have since come to know the Mercedes Benz Superdome well. After winning that 2013 crown, they returned to the Dome in 2014, this time to lose to Many. Just a few weeks ago, the team returned to New Orleans for its third run at a state championship, and earned its second state title, defeating Mangham High School.

Terms like “perennial powerhouse” are being tossed around.

Pickle with his family: Back row, from left, son Austin, son Jordan, Pickle. Front row, from left: wife Laurie, daughter Grace.

Pickle with his family: Back row, from left, son Austin, son Jordan, Pickle.
Front row, from left: wife Laurie, daughter Grace.

A large part of that success has been the work of the team’s offensive coordinator, Kenneth “Skip” Pickle, who’s been with Kinder since 1995. And his work with the team has earned Pickle the 2015 Charles Vicknair SWLA Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

The award is presented each year in honor of longtime SWLA coach Charles Vicknair. When Vicknair, who had coached in some capacity at nearly every high school in SWLA during his long career, passed away in 2008, it was estimated that some 32 assistant coaches who’d worked under him had gone on to become head coaches.

The list of head coaches who’ve won the American Press SWLA Coach of the Year Award after serving as an assistant under Vicknair reads like a SWLA football Who’s Who list: Jimmy Shaver. Max Caldarera. Russ Sutherland. Mike Johns.

And Vicknair won two of those awards himself — in 1978 and 1980, as head coach at Barbe.

That list also includes former McNeese head coach Matt Viator, who served as assistant coach under Vicknair at Sam Houston High School during his early career. Viator won the award in 1997 and 1998 as head coach at Sulphur.

“Dad was a coach’s coach,” says Vicknair’s son, Charles “Vic” Vicknair.

The Vicknair assistant coach award is given to honor that legacy of preparing young coaches to run a high school program.

Fuselier says Pickle is more than deserving of the prestigious award, and is the type of assistant coach the award is designed to honor.

Pickle and Kinder head coach Bret Fuselier celebrate another state championship.

Pickle and Kinder head coach Bret Fuselier celebrate another state championship.

“I’ve been working with (Pickle) for three years, since I became head coach at Kinder,” says Fuselier. “And he’s been a major part of our team’s success. Our offense over the last three years has been great at executing, and has been consistent year in and year out. We’re one of the top offenses in the 2A division, and that’s due to Coach Pickle’s work.”

Pickle not only brings a wealth of football knowledge to the team, says Fuselier, but, more importantly, has the rare ability to impart that knowledge in a way that makes it easy for his players to understand.

“(Coach Pickle) is good at teaching his players,” says Fuselier. “The kids really respect him. He has a good rapport with (the players); he’s good with the kids, and he relates very well with them. They listen to him, not just about football, but about everything. He teaches them not only football, but life lessons, as well.”

vicknair runner ups copy

2015 Charles Vicknair Award Runner-Ups

Pickle is not only well respected in the football program, says Fuselier. He’s also well regarded in the community.

“He’s active in the church and in the community,” says Fuselier. “He’s just a good family man, a good person and a good role model.”

Pickle has been coaching in the area for 25 years now. An athlete from an early age, he played high school football under coach Dutton Wall in Welsh. Upon graduation from Welsh, he began his studies at McNeese in business, but, he says, “my heart kept bringing me back to athletics.” He decided an education degree and a coaching career was for him.

He started his coaching career in East Beauregard High School as an assistant, moving on to serve at Oberlin High School. He came to Kinder in 1995, and has served as not only an assistant football coach, but as head softball coach.

He says that he hasn’t regretted the decision for a moment. “(Coaching) does get hard,” he says. “There are long hours. But it’s worth it. The rewards are great.”

Rewards such as being a pivotal part of a team that’s experienced so much success, for instance.

“Our success over the last few years has been amazing,” Pickle says. “This is my 21st year in Kinder, and I never thought I’d be a part of something like this. As a player, and as a coach, you wonder if you’ll ever get a chance to play in the Superdome in the finals. It’s been amazing.”

Pickle says he’s humbled and honored to receive the award, and he gives credit first to his family for “putting up with the long hours,” and, of course, the coaches he’s worked with, especially Coach Fuselier and the coaching staff at Kinder.

“I just do my job,” he says. “I never thought I’d get such an honor. Coach Vicknair was an extremely influential coach in this area. It’s a humbling experience, and it’s a wonderful way to cap off an exciting year.”

About The Charles Vicknair Award

The Charles Vicknair asst. coach award honors longtime SWLA coach Charles Vicknair. Often called a “coach’s coach,” Vicknair coached at six area high schools during his 50-year career. Known as much for teaching up-and-coming coaches as he was for heading VICKNAIR TROPHY copy up winning football teams, Vicknair helped some of the area’s winningest coaches get their start; Jimmy Shaver, Max Calderara, Mike Johns, Russ Sutherland and Matt Viator and many others all served as assistants under Vicknair early in their careers. So it’s only fitting that the award honoring the area’s best assistant coaches bears his name.

To commemorate the award, Josh Guillory, owner of Custom Iron by Josh in Westlake and a former player under Vicknair at Westlake, created the one-of-a-kind iron trophy pictured here. For more information, visit www.coachvicknair.com.

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