It looks as if the job started by Adam Cummings four years ago has come to an abrupt end.
That doesn’t mean he’s going anywhere, or at least too far from home.
Cummings, who was hired in 2022 to become the first head coach at brand new West Plains High, has apparently coached his last game at the school, but will stay with Canyon ISD. He was named CISD’s new Executive Director of Schools and Leadership in Monday’s school board meeting.
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Earlier in the day Monday, Cummings informed the team that he would not be returning in the fall of 2026 as head coach.
“There were a lot of things I had to take into account,” Cummings said. “I’ve been a coach for 22 years and been directly involved in students’ lives. When you’re in the thick of it day in and day out I guess you kind of take it for granted. When the opportunity for this presented itself, I’m not going to lie, it was a lot for me to process if this was the direction I wanted to go with my career and my family.”
It’s a jarring shift for the school and Cummings, who enjoyed wildly unexpected success on the gridiron over four historic years. West Plains quickly went from a completely untested and unknown quantity to a state championship contender under Cummings.
“The reality is our identity as a family has been wrapped up in being a coaching family and that’s hard to walk away from.” Cummings said. “I have so much confidence in the staff at West Plains with what they’ve done and who they are that they’ll continue to carry that torch so I’m really excited about their future and also the opportunity to serve Canyon ISD. I have the opportunity to impact two other feeder programs on top of West Plains.”
In four seasons, West Plains became one of the elite programs in the Texas Panhandle as Cummings posted a 42-13 record. The Wolves made the playoffs in each of the first four years competing in Class 4A, and in 2024, they beat traditional powerhouse Stephenville to reach the 4A Division I state semifinals against another established power Celina.
West Plains fell to Celina 43-36, as Celina went on to win the state championship the next week. Last season, the Wolves claimed their second straight unbeaten District 2-4A Division I championship and for the second straight year also lost in the postseason to the eventual state champion, falling to Stephenville 41-21 in the state quarterfinals.
Now, though, those days of working the sidelines on Friday nights look over for Cummings. The resignation of CISD Deputy Superintendent Robin Cramner opened up the No. 2 spot in the CISD administration, and the position was offered to Cummings, along with a new title for the spot.
“Mr. Cummings brings 22 years of educational experience, 14 of those serving at Canyon ISD,” said CISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Flusche. “Throughout his career he’s served in a variety of leadership roles including campus coordinator, dean of students, assistant principal, athletic director and head coach. He’s deeply rooted in Canyon ISD and this community.”
Cummings came to West Plains from Sundown, and prior to that he was the head coach at Hale Center. He has a career record of 96-51.
Before becoming head coach at Hale Center, Cummings had been a longtime assistant at Canyon, serving as defensive coordinator under Blake Bryant.
Cummings built the West Plains program from scratch with mostly student athletes who hadn’t played on the varsity level. That didn’t keep the Wolves from achieving instant success that eclipsed many more established programs.
All of that made the decision to leave behind the program he started that much tougher.
“Hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Cummings said. “That’s been my life for over two decades and then to say I’m closing that chapter and God’s opened another door for me, that was a little bit of a bittersweet moment. The reality is I wouldn’t have this opportunity if I didn’t have these athletes and coaches to serve with the last 22 years. Those relationships helped me with this opportunity.”
Cummings leaves some big shoes to fill on the sidelines, especially considering that two-a-days start in 3 ½ months. Expectations to succeed are high, as West Plains has also excelled in just about every other sport as well since the school opened.
CISD athletic director John Peterson acknowledges the big expectations which will come with finding a new head coach at West Plains.
“It’s one of the premier jobs in the Panhandle and some would say a premier job in the state of Texas,” Peterson said. “What Adam has done at West Plains is absolutely incredible in the short time the school has been there. It’s definitely a big role in our athletic department. I just want someone who’s a kid magnet and continue what Adam has built.”
Despite his success st West Plains and his lofty new leadership position, Cummings insists that he won’t necessarily have a lot of input into selecting the school’s next coach.
“That’s not really in my wheelhouse,” Cummings said. “I have the utmost confidence in John Peterson and his staff and Eric Gomez, our high school principal. They’ll do a phenomenal job and get the right guy. With the success our kids and coaching staff have had, it’s going to be a job everybody wants.”
Peterson said there is no set time frame to name a new coach at West Plains and that the job hasn’t been posted yet.
The move of Cummings into administration means that two of CISD’s three schools will enter next year with a different head coach than started last season. Matt Lovorn will start his first full season coaching Canyon next fall after taking over for Todd Winfrey, who was removed from his post midway through the season.