Forty Years of Faith

And a coaching staff with more than 150 combined years in Albany

By David H. Waller

Next week, the whistles will blow, helmets will crack and another season of Albany Lion football will officially begin.

For Denney Faith, it will not be just another first day of practice.

When the Lions take the field Aug. 3, Faith will begin his 40th season as Albany’s head football coach, a milestone reached by few coaches in Texas high school football history, let alone at one school.

For a man who has spent his entire adult life in Albany, Faith’s journey here began with a chance encounter.

Born at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Faith spent his early childhood moving with his father’s Air Force career, including stops in Amarillo and Hof, Germany. After his father retired from the Air Force and took a job in Lovington, New Mexico, the family settled there, and Faith remained through high school.

It was in Lovington where Faith developed his love of athletics. He played football, basketball and baseball and ran track before graduating from Lovington High School. He then enrolled at Lubbock Christian University with hopes of continuing his baseball career. When he realized his playing days were coming to an end, coaching became the next best thing.

“If I wasn’t good enough to play baseball,” Faith said. “Then let’s try coaching.”

After graduating from Lubbock Christian in 1982, Faith began searching for his first teaching and coaching job. Albany was not on his radar.

In fact, one chance moment changed the course of Albany football history.

Mark Duncan, a friend of Faith’s attending Abilene Christian University, happened to walk past the university’s job posting board and noticed Albany ISD was looking for a junior high coach. Knowing Faith was searching for a job, Duncan immediately thought of him and encouraged him to apply.

It was a moment that easily could have never happened. Duncan could have taken another hallway, missed the posting or simply kept walking.

Instead, he stopped.

And because he did, Albany would soon have Faith.

Faith interviewed with Albany Athletic Director Tank Nelson, accepted a junior high coaching position and moved to a town he knew nothing about.

A few years later, Nelson left to become athletic director at another school, and new head coach Tommy Ditmar promoted Faith to defensive coordinator for two seasons. Then, just weeks before the 1987 season, Ditmar accepted his dream job as head baseball coach in his hometown of Bellville.

With the season quickly approaching, Superintendent Terry Harlow recommended giving the young defensive coordinator an opportunity rather than rushing into another coaching search. At just 26 years old, Faith suddenly found himself leading one of Texas’ most tradition-rich football programs.

Looking back nearly four decades later, Faith admits the opportunity came with plenty of nerves.

“I was still very green at that point,” Faith said. 

Faith’s head coaching career began on the road against rival Throckmorton. The Lions opened the 1987 season with a 6-6 tie, one of only four ties Faith would record in his entire 39-year career.

One week later came the first victory, and it was a statement win.

Traveling to Baird on Sept. 11, 1987, Faith guided the Lions to a stunning 29-6 upset of the No. 1-ranked Bears, earning the first win of his head coaching career in just his second game.

It was the first victory of what would become one of the most accomplished coaching careers in Texas high school football history.

Faith’s first season ended with a 6-2-2 record, offering an early glimpse of the success that would follow over the next four decades.

Over the next 39 seasons, Faith built one of the state’s premier football programs. His teams have compiled a 379-116-4 record, won 22 district championships, advanced to six state championship games and captured back-to-back Class 2A Division II state championships in 2022 and 2023.

Entering the 2026 season, Faith ranks fifth on Texas’ all-time 11-man football coaching wins list and trails legendary coach Gordon Wood by just 17 victories.

Faith said being mentioned alongside the greatest coaches in Texas history is meaningful, but those records have never been what motivated him.

“It’s neat, and to think that you can be put in the same conversation with some of those names, it’s pretty unbelievable,” Faith said. “But it’s not the driving force.”

What kept him in Albany was much simpler.

“Just fell in love with the community to be honest,” he said.

Early in his career, there were opportunities to leave. Other schools called, and larger jobs became available. Faith said the interest was flattering, but none of those opportunities ever felt like a better place than Albany.

Once he and his wife, Angelyn, started raising a family, the decision became even easier.

“After Aaron was born, it was a no-brainer,” Faith said. “I was staying here to raise my kids.”

Over the next four decades, Faith didn’t just coach generations of Albany kids—he raised his own here. Aaron, Audrey, Alex and Adam all grew up on Friday nights at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium. His sons eventually wore the Albany uniform, while Audrey cheered from the sidelines. The football field became more than Faith’s workplace; it became the backdrop for his family’s life. 

As the years passed, district championships accumulated, playoff runs became commonplace and the victories continued to mount. 

In 2019, Albany ISD officially dedicated Faith Field at Robert Nail Memorial Stadium, honoring nearly four decades of dedication to Albany students, athletes and the community. 

Former school board president Betsy Parsons perhaps summarized it best during the dedication ceremony.

“Successful coaches just don’t stay in a school our size,” Parsons said. “Denney has had a lot of opportunities to move, but he chose to stay here, raise his kids here, participate in local activities and become part of the community, not just part of the school.”

Earlier in 2019, longtime Albany community leader and former school board president Ann Jones passed away. In an obituary that reflected on a lifetime of service to Albany, Jones’ family included one accomplishment she always remained especially proud of — that the school board she led hired “Denney Faith, Albany’s now famous football coach.”

Faith said reading those words in Jones’ obituary was one of the most meaningful recognitions he has ever received.

“That meant as much to me as anything,” Faith said. “For them to put that in her obituary… that was really special. She had done so much for this community, and the fact they included that as something she was proud of, I’ll never forget that.”

That decision to hire Faith didn’t just shape one career.

It helped shape a historic coaching staff.

A Century And A Half

Entering the 2026-27 school year, Albany’s veteran varsity coaches have combined for more than 150 seasons coaching in Albany.

Faith begins his 45th year at Albany ISD. Rod Britting starts his 31st season, Jimmy Fuentes his 26th, David Fairchild his 25th and final semester before retirement, Ryder Peacock his 16th season and Tate Thompson his 11th. New baseball coach Ligon West is the first new varsity coaching addition since Thompson joined the staff in 2016.

While coaching staffs across Texas often change every few years, Albany has quietly built a level of continuity rarely seen in today’s high school athletics.

Faith believes the reason is simple.

“They all have a job, and I let them coach,” he said. “They all have their specific talents and traits, and I just let them coach.”

He said every coach has ownership of his own program.

“Everybody kind of knows what they’re supposed to be doing and how to do it.”

That philosophy has paid dividends across every sport.

Britting has built one of the area’s premier track and field programs while serving as a cornerstone of the Albany football staff for three decades. His athletes have qualified for the UIL State Track & Field Championships dozens of times, earning medals, state championships and helping establish Albany as one of the state’s best Class 2A track programs.

Fuentes has guided the Lady Lions softball team to three UIL State Tournament appearances, establishing Albany as one of the top softball programs in the area. On Friday nights, he has spent more than two decades coordinating defenses that have powered district championships, deep playoff runs and two state football titles.

Fairchild compiled 400 career victories while leading the Lions baseball program, guiding Albany to multiple state tournament appearances before stepping away as head baseball coach this past spring. He will conclude his Albany coaching career this fall as an assistant football coach.

Peacock has overseen one of the most successful eras in Albany basketball history. Since taking over the program in 2011, he has guided the Lions to the playoffs in all but one season, amassed more than 230 victories and this past winter led Albany to the first undefeated regular season in program history. Away from the hardwood, Peacock has also served as Albany’s athletic director and an assistant football coach, while working with the track program and helping develop numerous jumpers who have advanced to the regional and state meets.

Since arriving in 2016, Thompson has transformed Albany’s golf program into a consistent regional and state contender, producing state qualifiers and medalists while returning the Lions to a level of success the program had not experienced in decades.

In football, coaching trees are often associated with legends like Nick Saban and the late Mike Leach. Their assistants spread across the country, taking head coaching jobs and building successful programs of their own.

Albany’s coaching tree tells a different story.

Instead of branches stretching in every direction, Albany’s coaches have put down roots. They have stayed for decades, raised families, built successful programs and become part of the community.

Faith believes that longevity starts with trust and a strong community.

“I think that’s just a credit to Albany,” Faith said. “It’s a great place to live, a great place to raise your kids, and our coaches enjoy working together.”

Determining exactly where Albany’s coaching staff ranks would require weeks, if not months, of researching coaching staffs from schools across Texas over decades — a task that simply isn’t practical. But the exercise would not be necessary. With more than 150 combined seasons coaching in one community, Albany’s staff is arguably one of the most tenured coaching staffs in Texas high school history, a remarkable level of continuity in a profession where coaches often move from town to town every few years.

The Long Road To Gold

Before Faith ever hoisted a state championship trophy, Albany’s only football titles had come in 1960 and 1961 under coach Carl Spoonmore. For the next three decades, despite consistently fielding competitive teams, the Lions never returned to the state championship game.

That finally changed in 1991.

Faith guided Albany to a perfect 15-0 record behind quarterback Clint Chapman, marking the program’s first appearance in a state final since the 1961 championship season. Even the trip to Waco became part of Albany football lore as flooding forced the Lions to alter their travel route, arriving at Floyd Casey Stadium just before kickoff. The season ended with a heartbreaking loss to Schulenburg.

Faith returned to the state championship game in 2009, only to run into a powerhouse Cayuga team in Mansfield. That historic Wildcat team fielded an offense with three D-1 commits, including Traylon Shead and future Texas A&M star Malcolm Kennedy. Five years later, Albany reached back-to-back finals in 2014 and 2015, but both seasons ended against Bremond.

Four trips.

Four runner-up finishes.

For many coaches, those losses could have become defining moments. Instead, they became motivation.

The Lions remained one of the state’s elite programs, reaching two state semifinals and another quarterfinal over the next six seasons before earning another opportunity in 2022.

That season didn’t begin like a championship run. Albany lost two non-district games, and quarterback Cole Chapman—the son of 1991 quarterback Clint Chapman—missed much of the early season with an injury. But once district play began, the Lions found their stride, winning 11 consecutive games to return to AT&T Stadium for Faith’s fifth state championship appearance.

Waiting for them was top-ranked Mart, a program seeking its ninth state championship.

This time, Albany finished the job.

The Lions turned a 14-14 game into a convincing 41-21 victory by scoring on three consecutive possessions and controlling the line of scrimmage against a Mart team that entered averaging more than 57 points and 450 yards per game.

Speaking with The Albany News after the championship victory, Faith struggled to put the moment into words.

“I can’t even explain it,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s really sunk in yet that we are actually a state champion. It’s so hard to get there and then finish it when you finally do.”

Coy Lefevre rushed for four touchdowns and was named Offensive MVP, while Wyatt Windham earned Defensive MVP honors after recording 17 tackles. Adam Hill added 102 rushing yards, and Cole Chapman delivered the game’s exclamation point with a 52-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

The victory gave Faith his long-awaited first state championship after four previous runner-up finishes and ended a 61-year championship drought for Albany football.

One year later, the Lions were back.

Albany entered the 2023 season as the defending state champion and the unanimous No. 1 team in Class 2A Division II. With a target on their backs every Friday night, the Lions answered every challenge, finishing the regular season undefeated before returning to Arlington for another meeting with Mart.

After falling behind 3-0 early in the second quarter, Albany seized control with 21 unanswered points before halftime and never looked back.

Future Red Raider, Adam Hill rushed for 132 yards and three touchdowns to earn Offensive MVP honors, while Zane Waggoner anchored a defense that limited Mart to just 200 total yards, earning Defensive MVP recognition.

The 28-10 victory completed a perfect 16-0 season, making the Lions the first team in school history to win 16 games and only the second Albany team to repeat as state champions, joining the legendary 1960 and 1961 squads.

Speaking with The Albany News following the repeat championship, Faith reflected on what made the accomplishment so special.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” he said. “I’m proud for our kids, who had a target on their backs all year long, getting everybody’s best game for 16 weeks. They were able to rise up to that challenge, starting No. 1 in the polls and finishing that way.”

After waiting 35 seasons for his first championship, Faith needed only one more year to win his second.

In fitting Albany fashion, the state titles once again came in pairs.

1960 and 1961.

2022 and 2023.

More Than Wins

Looking back over four decades, Faith can still remember the championship teams, incredible wins and the heartbreaking losses.

He remembers the 1991 state finalist team, the unforgettable battle with Cayuga in 2009, the 2003 triple overtime win over Roby, and consecutive state championship game losses to Bremond in 2014 and 2015.

He also admits there are teams he wishes he could coach again.

“There were some really good football teams early that I wished I could coach now,” Faith said. “I just wasn’t as good a coach then. I think you get better as you go.”

One statistic illustrates just how close Albany has consistently been to the top of Texas high school football.

Fifteen of Faith’s 30 playoff losses came against the eventual state champion, meaning half of Albany’s postseason defeats under his leadership came at the hands of the team that ultimately finished No. 1 in Texas.

Today, however, the records and championships are appreciated, but they are no longer what drives him.

“I like being around kids,” Faith said. “I like being around young men. I like watching them grow. I enjoy the coaching staff. I think the coaches’ office is a fun place to be when you work with people that you enjoy being around.”

Faith also credits his wife Angelyn for making his long career possible.

“Any coach can’t do this job without having the support of a wife that wants to be a part of the program also,” he said. “She’s as much a part of the program as anybody.”

When asked what means the most after 45 years in Albany, Faith never mentioned victories, championships, rankings or even the field that now bears his name.

Instead, he talked about former players.

Former players who became coaches.

Former players who became teachers.

Former players who became business owners.

Former players who became husbands.

Former players who became fathers.

“That’s why you do it,” Faith said. “To be able to see young men become successful and hope that you had a small part in helping them become good citizens, good husbands and good fathers.”

Next week, the Lions will gather once again to begin another football season.

For Denney Faith, it will be the start of season No. 40 as head coach and No. 45 in Albany.

A journey that began with a chance encounter in a college hallway, a friend who happened to notice a job posting and a young coach searching for his first opportunity.

Forty-five years later, that journey has produced one of Texas’ winningest football programs and a coaching culture where success has never been measured by how many coaches left for bigger jobs.

In Albany, it has been measured by how many chose to stay.

By The Numbers

The statistics alone place Faith among the greatest coaches in Texas high school football history.

Entering the 2026 season, his career record stands at 379-116-4, good for a winning percentage of 76.4 percent over 39 seasons as Albany’s head football coach. His 379 victories rank fifth all-time among UIL 11-man football coaches, trailing only Phil Danaher (490 wins), Randy Allen (472), G.A. Moore (426) and Gordon Wood (394). Faith and Allen are the only active coaches among the state’s all-time top five.

The consistency has been just as remarkable.

Faith has led Albany to 22 district championships, 32 playoff appearances, 14 quarterfinal appearances, nine state semifinals, six state championship game appearances and two state championships. 

His teams have won 10 or more games 20 times, including ten seasons with at least 13 victories. Albany has produced three 14-win seasons (2014, 2015 and 2022), two 15-win seasons (1991, 2009) and a school-record 16-0 state championship season in 2023.

Perhaps the most impressive measure of sustained excellence is this: since the start of the 1995 season, Albany has endured only one losing season in 31 years.

And as mentioned earlier, many of the seasons that didn’t end with a trophy ended against the very best teams in Texas. Fifteen of Faith’s 30 playoff losses came against the eventual state champion, while a loss to Gruver in 2018 came against the eventual state runner-up. In other words, 16 of Albany’s 30 playoff exits under Faith came against a team that reached the state championship game.

Faith’s coaching honors mirror the team’s success. He has been named District Coach of the Year 19 times, Big Country Coach of the Year eight times, Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2022 and THSCA Class 2A Region II Coach of the Year following Albany’s first state championship. He has also earned Big Country Super Team Coach of the Year three times, FCA Male Coach of the Year in 2020-21 and the Chuck Moser Male Coach of the Year Award in 2015.

The numbers tell the story of one of the most accomplished coaching careers in Texas history.

Before the interview ended, one final question seemed appropriate.

Based on his career winning percentage, it would take roughly 11 more seasons for Faith to catch Danaher as Texas’ all-time winningest coach. Would he consider coaching that long?

Faith laughed as he did the math.

“Let’s see. Eleven years from now, I’d be 77.” He paused for a moment before grinning.

“I’m not going to say no… but that’s a long time.”

The Greatest Victory

Forty years cannot be fully captured in one newspaper article.

The victories, championships and records tell only part of Denney Faith’s story. His greatest legacy will never be measured by wins or trophies, but by the generations of young men he helped shape. He and Angelyn raised four children of their own, but along the way, Faith became a father figure, mentor and role model to hundreds more who wore the Albany uniform. He didn’t simply coach boys to become better football players. He helped turn boys into men.

When the final seconds ticked away at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 14, 2022, the celebration wasn’t just happening on the field.

It was happening in living rooms across Texas. It was happening in the stands, where former players hugged one another through tears. It was happening wherever former Lions gathered to watch the coach who had shaped so many of their lives finally accomplish the one thing that had narrowly escaped him for more than three decades.

The players wearing scarlet that afternoon won the state championship.

But in many ways, they were carrying something much bigger than themselves.

They carried every former player who had ever dreamed of being the team that finally got Coach Faith over the finish line. Every player who had fallen short in 1991. Every player who had walked off the field heartbroken in 2009, 2014 and 2015. Even one senior who played his final season in the fall of 2006 still wishes, just a little, that it could have been his team.

 Every senior who had believed, every captain who had led, every Lion who had wished he could someday hand Coach Faith that first championship trophy.

For one unforgettable afternoon, it felt like we all crossed the goal line together.

Next week, another group of young boys will report to the field house for the first practice of a new season. They’ll lace up their cleats, put on an Albany helmet and gather around the same coach who has stood on that field for four decades.

Some may one day win a championship.

Most won’t.

But every one of them will have the opportunity to leave the football field a little better than when they arrived.

That’s what Denney Faith has been doing for 40 years.

And on Aug. 3, he’ll begin doing it again.