A living legend is someone known for being extremely good at something. Michael Jordan, Earl Campbell, Wayne Gretzky, and Carl Lewis are some living legends in their own fields.
That is exactly what Coach Beverly Humphrey has been to Texas high school track and field.
On July 3rd, Lancaster Independent School District officially announced Humphrey's retirement, bringing to an end her coaching and educational career that began at Greenville Middle School in the 1980s and has spanned over 35 years at Lancaster.
Over the past couple of days I've sat and thought about the weight and impact the teaching, coaching, guidance, and leadership contributions have meant to young ladies and Texas high school sports, track and field.
Humphrey embodies passion for both track and field as well as for our youth. The undeniable mark on Humphrey's resume was that winning was in her DNA and her program was also known for winning. Additionally, she was also about shaping the minds of young ladies and creating opportunities for them. Humphrey doesn't just leave Lancaster ISD as the girls head coach, but also as the district's Chief of Athletics (Athletics Director). The athletic director is a position that is performed by few women and there were even fewer in 2004, when she was promoted to that position.
Photo Credit: Lancaster Independent School District
Creating A Winning Record
It is one thing to attain success, but how Humphrey's career accolades qualify her for legendary status is the period of time in which the Lancaster program has been able to sustain that success.
Lancaster is known nationally for their track and field program and is a Texas perennial powerhouse. With Humphrey at the helm, they've won 13 UIL State Track and Field team championships, including eight consecutive from 2001 - 2008. They've added 18 Regional Championships, 9 Area Championships, and 35 District Championships including 32 consecutive.
"You have to be able to coach what you get. It's not always about having the star athlete, it's about putting in the work with the kids everyday."
Beverly Humphrey, former Lancaster head coach and athletic director
In addition, a multitude of student-athletes have received scholarships to continue their academics and athletic careers at the collegiate level. The most recent include two 2023 graduating members who have committed to Texas A&M for the upcoming Fall semester.
The winning record is attributed to the development of runners. Like every other coach in the country, Humphrey knew standout student athletes help elevate a team, however they don't always come along as frequently as needed to sustain a top program. Therefore, every athlete must be coached and developed beyond the talent they when the walk through the doors.
"It's all about discipline and my kids know that," Humphrey said. She added, "you have to be able to coach what you get, you have to be able to see a young lady as a freshman when she is running a 63; the coaching piece to it will take her to a 57, so we develop talent from the middle school all of the way through the high school (level). It's not always about having the star athlete, it's about putting in the work with the kids everyday."
At Lancaster, "you go to state and you win some and you lose some, but you're always there. I'm ecstatic for my kids and my staff to get recognized as doing a great job," Humphrey said.
Humphrey's successful coaching career also stems from her experiences during her own competition days. She ran high school track at Dallas Lincoln and went on to earn NCAA All-American honors at Prairie View A&M University where she won a national championship in the 200 meters. Afterwards, she qualified to compete at the US Olympic Trials in the 100, 200 and 400 meter events making the finals in the 200m.
Caring About People
To be any good at this, you have to be exceptional at learning, teaching, and developing, but you also have to care about people. That is perhaps where Humphrey excels the most.
Track and field isn't the most popular sports in America and it takes hard work to train and prepare as well as teach where a lot of times, things go unnoticed. "I'm going to be real, track coaches don't get a lot of pub. I appreciate my kids getting recognized and I appreciate me and my staff being recognized, we work hard, it's a year in year out thing," Humphrey said.
"I have a tremendous coaching staff, they all know their jobs, they all put in the work, and I feel that's the main reason we're successful at Lancaster."
Despite Humphrey and Lancaster consistently having a target on their back and being the ones every team in the state has on their list to have to beat, the coach still cares for her competitive teams, coaches, and athletes.
"I have to give God and my mother the credit; these things just don't happen, it's favor and what I try to do is do everything right every single day. I might mess up sometimes, but God knows I'm trying to do right by kids and I feel that's the reason that I'm successful."
Beverly Humphrey, former Lancaster head coach and athletic director
In 2010 Lancaster tied with Houston Westbury for the UIL 4A state title and again with Fort Bend Marshall in 2021 for the UIL 5A state title. Each year, only one of the teams could leave the meet and travel home with the state championship trophy. Both occasions, Humphrey made the selfless decision to allow both Westbury and Marshall teams to take the trophy home from the meet.
"I was ok with them getting the trophy, I know what the state championship means and we have some (trophies) that we can look at, this is huge for them and they deserved to have it." Humphrey knew that the UIL would eventually have additional trophies made and would send them their own trophy to place in their trophy case. More importantly, she knew the impact of possessing the trophy for the other programs and that the trophy symbolized a reward the hard work a team put into winning a state title. "That's just the way I'm made inside, I love kids and I want them to be happy and it meant the world to them," Humphrey said.
Humphrey's legendary status is further cemented by many honors precluding her recent retirement. The Lancaster ISD football stadium/track and field facility is named in her honor, she has been inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association (TTFCA) Hall of Fame, the Texas Sports Black Hall of Fame, the Texas Girls Coaches Association (TGCA) Hall of Fame, and the Prairie View Interscholastic League (PVIL) Coaches Association Hall of Honor.
She'll be the first to tell you, that her accomplishments aren't because of her skill. "I have to give God and my mother the credit for that. These things just don't happen, it's favor and what I try to do is do everything right every single day. I might mess up sometimes, but God knows I'm trying to do right by kids and I feel that's the reason that I'm successful."