Todd Alexander steps down as Waxahachie head football coach following 6A playoff berth

By Travis M. Smith | KBEC Sports

Following the first-ever 6A postseason berth in program history, Waxahachie head football coach Todd Alexander announced his plans to step down Thursday morning.

Alexander first informed his coaching staff and then the returning players shortly before the first class bell rang. He notified district administrators soon after. The coach with over two decades of professional experience with Waxahachie ISD also expressed his desire to remain at his alma mater in whatever capacity is available and stressed that the decision to step down was of his own accord.

“I would like to thank Waxahachie ISD for the opportunity to serve as the head football coach for the past three years,” Alexander stated. “It has been an awesome experience working with the young men, the coaching staff, teachers, administrators and the community of Waxahachie. The support of the administration and staff has been overwhelmingly great.”

Alexander noted that the football and overall athletic program are both trending upward during the district’s initial trip to Class 6A. He also stated that “there has been a strong foundation laid” for all programs, adding that “the future is bright for the Indians.”

Alexander is a 1990 graduate of Waxahachie High and was the first-ever WHS grad chosen to lead the football program into its first-ever 6A foray by unanimous board decision on March 29, 2018. Oddly enough, that decision also came on a Thursday.

At the time of his hire, Alexander made sure to note that his “roots run deep in Waxahachie” and that he looked forward to continuing the “great tradition of Waxahachie football as the district moves into 6A.”

The man who admittedly “bleeds green” proved both of those sentiments to be true.

Under Alexander, the Indians qualified for their first-ever 6A postseason berth in 2020. Waxahachie ultimately finished the season with a 5-5 mark after falling to Temple in the 6A Region II bi-district playoffs. The Tribe had won four consecutive games against Mansfield Lake Ridge, Mansfield, Waco Midway and Waco in the “District of Doom” in order to make a trip to the 6A postseason. They finished the 11-6A slate with a 4-2 record, having not played No. 1 Duncanville in the final week of the regular season due to COVID-protocols.

The Indians defense, led by Alexander and defensive coordinator Matt Cochran, held some of the state’s highest-flying offenses to 250 total points this season (25.0 ppg). The group allowed 42.3 and 42.4 points-per-game in 2018 and ’19, respectively.

The 25.0 points allowed per game this past season is the best since 2009 when the Indians finished 12-1 overall and allowed just 21.8 points per game.

Alexander exits with an overall record of 8-23 as a head football coach, having finished a combined 3-17 during two rebuilding years in 2018-19.

“Todd Alexander is an exceptional leader of young men, and I appreciate the enormous amount of time and energy he has devoted to his team and school community,” stated Waxahachie ISD athletic director Greg Reed in a district-issued release. “Football is fickle, so I do not dwell on game outcomes only; instead, I remember the integrity he modeled and special moments like 42 senior players celebrating a historical 6A playoff berth by pouring Gatorade on his head. Coach Alexander is leaving the Waxahachie Indian football program with a solid foundation and a hunger for continued success.”

Alexander was a finalist for the head football coaching gig in 2015, only to have the board of trustees choose Jon Kitna, who led the team to one 5A playoff berth in three seasons.

Alexander is in his 24th year with Waxahachie ISD, where he intends to continue to serve. He spent 22 of those years with the district as a football coach at either the high school or junior high level.

Prior to serving the Indians varsity football program, Alexander served as the varsity offensive and running game coordinator. He also spent two seasons outside of football as the Waxahachie girls’ head cross country coach, where he led to the program’s first-ever district championship in 2018.

Waxahachie ISD superintendent Dr. Bonny Cain praised Alexander for his long track record of work with student-athletes, both on and off of the field. She also noted the district will immediately begin its search for the program’s next head coach.

“Coach Alexander is a great asset to Waxahachie ISD in any role, and we are grateful and excited that he will remain with the district in a position where he can continue to mentor and work with students,” Cain stated.

Waxahachie ISD board president Dusty Autrey echoed those same sentiments.

“I am proud of Coach Alexander’s tenure as the Waxahachie Indians head football coach,” Autrey added. “Coach Alexander’s strong morals and ethics helped shape many young men and women during his years in Waxahachie ISD. Coach Alexander is leaving WHS football with a strong foundation for years to come. We are excited to have him back in the classroom.”

Alexander spent the first two years of his coaching career in Maypearl, where he coach football, baseball and track-and-field. He is a graduate of Tarleton State University in Stephenville, which he initially attended on a baseball scholarship.

“There is no place I know like Waxahachie and I believe WISD is second to none,” Alexander added. “There are opportunities for me to continue to serve in this outstanding school district, and that is where my goals lie. I thank WISD administration and staff for the ongoing and continued support. I will continue to be one of Waxahachie’s biggest fans and wish for continued success for the district and all programs.”

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Travis M. Smith, @Travis5mith

tsmith@kbec.com