CONROE, Texas — The Conroe Independent School District approved the hire of longtime coach Jim Rapp as its new The Woodlands High School athletic director and head football coach Tuesday.
It was first reported by The Courier of Montgomery County.
Rapp has spent 27 years as an assistant, most recently as an offensive coordinator. Twenty 22 years was spent as an offensive line coach. Fourteen was OC under former Head Coach Mark Schmidt.
“I’ve been a coach here for a long time, but my time here goes back long before that,” Rapp said to The Courier. “I’ve either played and/or worked for every head coach in the history of this school, so I go way back. To be the head coach now, it’s almost surreal to me. I’m actually the head coach where I went to school. I’m a Highlander through and through, and it’s just an unbelievable honor for me.”
Rapp’s hire marks the official replacement for Schmid, a 14-year head coach with a Class 6A state championship berth under his belt.
The Woodlands won nine district titles during the last 10 seasons. Its new head coach’s offense also onliterated several program records during a run to the 2016 Class 6A Division I State title game.
Those included points scored (698), points per game (43.6), rushing yards (3,916), passing yards (3,758), and total yards (7,674).
Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola catches the go-ahead touchdown pass ahead of Jaguars free safety Tashaun Gipson. Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports
New The Woodlands Head Coach Jim Rapp. Photo courtesy The Courier of Montgomery County
Rapp has coached more than 30 players that have played on the collegiate and professional football levels. Danny Amendola, a two-time Super Bowl Champion wide receiver with the New England Patriots, is one of those players.
Kesean Carter, a 5-foot-11 Texas Tech wide receiver signee, could be another. As a dynamic weapon in the Highlanders’ offense, Carter gained 517 yards and scored seven touchdowns on 29 receptions as a junior in 2016. The three-star athlete also scored a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Rapp helped boost Carter’s influence on the NCAA Division I stage, too.
Carter, the No. 128 wide receiver per 24/7Sports’ National Composite Rankings, claimed 14 collegiate offers. Outside of eventual winner Texas Tech, though, were the likes of Arizona, Houston, and West Virginia. All three teams finished in the top five of respective Pac-12, American Athletic, and Big 12 Conferences.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR RAPP?
Rapp assumes control of a team that went 7-2 overall and undefeated District 12-6A Championship en route to a bi-ditrict round exit in 2017. Thirty-six of the players from that team — including Carter and starting quarterback Quinn Binney — will graduate in the spring.
The Woodlands also moved from District 12-6A to District 15-6A. It joins three other Conroe ISD schools and five Klein ISD schools. Conroe High, Conroe Oak Ridge, and Conroe Woodlands College Park join the Highlanders in the new pairing.
Beaumont West Brook moved to District 21 with Channelview and Galena Park North Shore. Lufkin (District 8) and Montgomery (District 10) High Schools moved down to Class 5A Division I and Division II, respectively.
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