There and back again: Marques Loftis returns to Palo Duro High School
When Jeff Evans called Marques Loftis to inform him he'd be stepping down as head boys basketball coach at Palo Duro High School he made sure to mention he was pulling for Loftis to be his successor.
It made sense. Loftis is 1999 Palo Duro graduate and after playing collegiately at Howard College and Oklahoma Panhandle State University he returned to Palo Duro as an assistant under Evans. He worked there for nine years, the longest tenure any assistant had under Evans. The familiarity with the school, program and administration all played in Loftis' favor.
When Amarillo ISD Athletic Director Bradley Thiessen called Loftis to tell him the job was his, he couldn't help but be excited. More than anything, though, he felt a sense of humility.
“I was really humbled they’d give me the chance to come back and take on the opportunity," Loftis said. "I knew there were some other strong candidates that won some state championships. I’ve been to the playoffs each of the last four years and made the regional tournament once but it’s hard to beat a coach that has state championships. I was just humbled and honored to get the chance to come back.”
Loftis has spent the past four years as boys basketball coach at Hereford. As he said, that run included making the postseason each year and reaching the regional tournament. Leaving the team behind was a challenge. The opportunity to return to his alma mater and succeed his mentor and friend was too great a pull to resist, however.
“I had a blast coaching those guys," Loftis said. "The kids were wonderful to coach, they bought in, the community was awesome. The administration, the other coaches, it was just a really tight-knit community. Being there four years it was hard to leave, but I had to do it…You could see some of their faces frown when I told them, but they understood it wasn’t them, it was just time for me to move on.”
Though it's a different team now than it was four years ago when Loftis left, he'll still be teaching much of the same things. He says his familiarity with Evans' system has helped prepare him for this moment. The confidence Evans had in him to fill this spot gave him the confidence to believe he'll be successful.
“The team coming back is willing to work better and loves to be in the gym," Loftis said. "You can only ask for so much but they love getting after it. I see us sustaining what coach Evans built and continue building on that with the younger classes. I’m not trying to change too much, just trying to put my own spin on things there and make it mine.”
Though Audi Luckey is gone, the bulk of last year's Dons squad returns after going 17-10 in the regular season. The has gone at least one round deep in the postseason each of the past 23 seasons. Loftis knows the quality program that he's inheriting and wants everyone to know that he's ready for the responsibility.
“I’d just like the community to come out and give the kids their support," Loftis said. "At the end of the day it’s about them. I’m just a small piece trying to make the kids successful. I just want the kids to go out there, have fun and play basketball. It’s going to be a fun ride.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: There and back again: Marques Loftis returns to Palo Duro High School
