Koetting and Maxfield made up the 2024 THSCA Hall of Honor Class alongside Lee Bridges, Ken Cook and Jack Murphy.
Koetting’s accolades continue to grow after a surprise retirement in the spring of 2023 following his announcement due to early-stage signs of Alzheimer’s. Koetting was elected to the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame as member No. 201 last June.
Koetting coached for 31 seasons, but his most notable reign was during his time leading the Canadian Wildcat football program from 2010-2023.
In those blink of an eye 13 years, Koetting signed his name in capital letters as one of the most successful Texas Panhandle coaches and the entire state with a winning percentage of .873.
The only other Texas Panhandle football coach laying claim to three state football championships was the late, great Blair Cherry who won titles for Amarillo High in 1934, 1935 and 1936.
With his family, friends and former coaching staff in attendance in San Antonio on Saturday night, Koetting says it was a night he’d never forget.
“I never thought that would ever even happen to me,” Koetting said. “To be in the Hall of Honor is a great feeling. They do such a great job with that ceremony. It’s unbelievable and it was great to share it with my family and friends.”
Seminole superintendent and former Canadian head football coach Kyle Lynch was one of those men at the Hall of Honor on Saturday. Lynch hired Koetting in 2003 as the Wildcats offensive coordinator. Lynch says he could see how special Koetting was going to be and being able to see him on the stage getting a coach’s highest honor was humbling.
“It was so good to see the number of people who drove to San Antonio to support coach Koetting,” Lynch said. “That in itself tells you what he means to the coaches, players, friends and family he has impacted. To see him inducted along with the all-time great coaches in Texas just felt right. I was thankful they not only acknowledged the highly successful career he had, but also celebrated the positive influence he’s had on so many. It was a great evening.”
Current Canadian head football coach Andy Cavalier, who served as an assistant for nine seasons under Koetting, was also on-hand at the banquet. Cavalier says it was a tremendous night for the Koetting family and the entire town of Canadian.
“It was such a great night for our community to have Coach Koetting inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor. During his career in Canadian he was so highly successful on the field and would deserve induction solely based on that.
However, what I loved most about this induction was its focus on the lives he has impacted along the way. He has chosen to spend his entire adult life using athletics to have a positive impact on people and this honor makes him a member of such an elite group of community leaders in the state of Texas.”
Maxfield spent 40 years in the coaching business with head coaching stops at Forney, Burleson, Amarillo High and Monahans leaving as one of the winningest coaches in Texas football history with over 250 wins before his passing at the age of 64 years old in 2022.
In his eight years at Amarillo High, Maxfield posted a 65-29 record and never missed a playoff appearance. Maxfield was the 2006 Nike Coach of the Year, winner of multiple UIL Coach of the Year awards, and was a recipient of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame Tom Landry Award.
“This is a very deserved honor for coach Maxfield,” AISD athletic director Brad Thiessen said. “He was a man of great character with everyone he came in contact with. his legacy will be known on how well he treated players and coaches on top of being a great football coach. Mel never met a stranger.”
