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CRIMSON SHIELD
THE ONLINE MAGAZINE OF BROTHER MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL |
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| April 2011 |
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Track Coach Brad Duplechain |
Brad Duplechain has followed in his father's footsteps as a high school coach.
- Born in New Iberia, Brad grew up in Delcambre, southwest of New Iberia, where his father, William, was the football coach.
- "That's where I fell in love with sports," says Brad. He went from season to season: football, basketball, track in the spring, and baseball in the summer.
- Delcambre was a big track town. The school had a square cinder track that followed the contour of the football field. "I thought all tracks were square until I got out of there."
- When Brad was 10, the family moved to Port Barre, his father's hometown where Bill became the football and track coach.
- Brad gave football a shot in junior high but didn't like it. Instead, he played basketball and ran cross country and track.
- Bill Duplechain stopped coaching in 2000 and became principal of Port Barre High. He has been on the LHSAA Executive Committee and served as the organization's president.
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Brad played on some good hoops teams at Port Barre.
- Several teams won the district championship..
- His senior year, the Red Devils lost in the state semifinals.
Brad continued to play basketball at Loyola.
- He walked on his sophomore and junior years.
- His senior year, he joined the rowing team.
At Loyola, Brad wasn't aiming for a career in teaching and coaching.
- He majored in Biology and Chemistry.
- He thought about the medical profession but, after volunteering at hospitals, he realized it wasn't his cup of tea.
- He finally decided, after talking with his dad, that he wanted to coach. "That was a compliment to him, but he wanted to make sure I wanted to do it. Don't do it just to please him. If you don't like it, it won't offend me if you move on."
In 1997, Brad sent his resumé to schools.
- Brother Barry Landry, then an assistant principal at Brother Martin, called.
- That led to a position as a physical science teacher. Brad wasn't hired as a coach, but that didn't last long.
- He helped with cross country, 8th grade basketball, and track that first year.
- After two years, he realized that playing basketball and coaching it aren't the same. So he settled on cross country and track.
Over the years, Brad moved up the line in both the Science and Athletic Departments.
- He started teaching physics before the storm.
- Since Katrina, he has concentrated on honors and regular physics.
- He replaced Dennis Panepinto as head track coach for the fateful 2005-6 school year.
- Brad continues to help Ryan Gallagher with cross country. Ryan in turn assists Brad with track.
A track team divdes into distinct groups, each with its own coach.
- Coach Gallagher handles the distance events with most of the participants being his cross country runners.
- Ryan Zeringue mentors the throwers.
- Brad handles the rest - sprinters, relays, jumpers, and hurdlers.
On a given day, the track team may practice in three different locations.
- The distance runners frequent the Lakefront area.
- Another group is at Tad Gormley Stadium.
- A third segment works on Farley Field.
With such a large squad, coaches are challenged to give individual attention.
- As a result, participants must develop self-discipline. They must be on time and know what they need to do at practice.
- Coaches quickly identify the most reliable squadmen.
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Coach Dup considers the hurdles the hardest event to coach.
- "It is such a technical event. You need a balance of agility and speed."
- "Some guys are naturally inclined and not fearful of the hurdles. Trying to get the kid who could do it to want to do it is a challenge."
His favorite event is the 400m.
- "I try to build my team around it. It's grueling. It hurts. But a good 400 runner can run the 200 and the 100."
- "A couple of years ago when we finished third in state, we had several good 400 runners, which gave us flexibility."
Brad expects the district to be very competitive this year.
- "We're young. We lost kids to graduation and attrition."
- "Our throwers are senior-heavy. But on the track - a mystery."
- "We could finish first or third. Hopefully, we won't finish any lower than that."
- "Jesuit was the state indoor runner-up. Defending champ St. Aug. is always a threat."
The Crusaders have won district three of the five years Dup has been their coach. "Four of six" sure sounds good.
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