It’s a story that feels like the script for a movie about football in Texas. The scene is set in a town of 18,862 on the edge of Big Country and Hill Country, nearly a one-hour drive to the nearest Interstate. Yet, this town has become a pipeline for Division III coaches to jump directly to Division I.

Since 2017, 14 coaches have departed Howard Payne for positions at Division I institutions. The impressive list includes current FCS head coaches Jason Bachtel at Houston Christian and Braxton Harris at Campbell. 

The common denominators to HPU’s success in developing coaches to the highest levels of college football are Director of Athletics Dr. Hunter Sims and Associate Director of Athletics for Operations Troy Drummond. Sims and Drummond share a unique understanding of what it takes for a head coach to succeed in college athletics, as both served as head coaches at Howard Payne before transitioning into administrative roles.

Sims arrived in Brownwood in 2009 after serving as a graduate assistant at Angelo State. From 2012 to 2015, he was the Yellow Jackets' assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He was named head football coach in 2016 and became Director of Athletics three months later. Sims transitioned into his administrative role full-time in 2017.

Drummond has been at HPU since 2009, when he was hired as head men’s basketball coach. Four years later, he was named Assistant Director of Athletics for Operations. He was instrumental in restarting the men’s and women’s golf programs after a 12-year hiatus in 2015 and was head men’s basketball coach until Spring 2021. Drummond remains head coach for men’s and women’s golf while serving administrative duties.

Sims and Drummond utilize their coaching experience to help develop coaches.

“We tell the coaches that it’s their job to help our student-athletes reach their dreams, and it’s the job of Troy and I to help them reach their dreams,” Sims said. “(Coaches) often don’t have people in their corner trying to help them reach their dreams, so they end up doing it on their own.”

Sims developed an onboarding training program during his first year at HPU to help coaches achieve their dreams. While most coaches have college experience before arriving at HPU, each institution has different policies and procedures. Sims tailored the training based on his experiences after arriving in Brownwood.

“I try to cut the fat out and help them figure out how the processes work here,” Sims said. “Our goal is to shortcut these processes to immediately make the head coaches as successful as possible because the way we recruit might be totally different than other schools in our conference.”

The onboarding training serves as professional development for new coaches, helping them learn aspects of the university not covered at conventions. The university handbook, budgeting, credit card use, fundraising and financial aid guidance, faith integration, strength and conditioning, how class schedules are made at HPU, business office procedures, alumni and donor relations, drug testing policy, how camps are conducted at HPU, and the admissions process are some of the topics discussed during the training.

Sims will identify the best on- and off-campus recruiters and have them present to the coaches the process they use during those visits.

“We ask the coaches where they want to end up in their career,” Sims said. “Then, we try to lead them in a way that prepares them to be successful here while also preparing them for the next step in their careers.”

Sims and Drummond's primary focus is to provide the best student-athlete experience possible.

“My job is to serve the head coaches at Howard Payne and work alongside them to provide the best student-athlete experience," Sims said. "If something can positively affect the student-athlete experience and help recruit our current and new students, let’s find a way to make it happen. When a coach brings an idea, we try to do it - if we can’t fully, at least partially.” 

While most universities and athletics departments develop a five-year-or-longer vision, Sims believes in a one-year vision.

“It’s like two hands on a clock. The hour hand might be pointing at recruiting at a certain time of year, but it might be pointing at the student experience at a different time,” Sims said. “Our one-year vision plan is to work together to improve the student-athlete experience and recruit current and new students. If we keep those two things at the forefront, then we’ll have success and always be progressive.”

Anyone questioning whether Sims and Drummond’s methods are successful only needs to speak with any coach who has spent time under their direction at HPU. Their former staff members' love for Sims and Drummond is immediately noticeable.

“We want to help them reach their dreams and build great relationships with them so we can stay in touch with them as they progress in their careers,” Sims said. “The way the landscape of college athletics evolves and changes so fast that it’s advantageous to everyone to keep those relationships, especially with the transfer portal. I want coaches at other levels to be an advocate for us if they have a student looking to transfer.”

While Sims is proud of every coach who has moved on to bigger and better positions, he still gets emotional when they tell him they’re leaving.

“I’m always a little sad when coaches leave because I know they’re valuable to us, but I’m also excited for them to get that opportunity,” Sims said. “When they move along to something better for them and their family, I know they’ve left our department and that program in a better place, which allows all of us to win.”