GAMES
RANKINGS
St. Pius X Magazine: The Pride of Texas
ALL IT TOOK WAS ONE PHONE CALL.
Athletic Director Jeff Feller reached out to Brandon Mouton just after Thanksgiving in 2019 and "the rest was history".
"I think he heard my name around basketball circles and talked about what he was building at St. Pius X and if I was interested?" Mouton said. "He is building a winning culture and I want to be a part of it."
Mouton's name is legendary around Texas Longhorn basketball circles. He was an integral part of the 2003 Longhorn Final Four team, the only one in school history.
"It was special," Mouton said looking at his Final Four ring. "We had a collective group of young men with the same goal in mind – winning a National Championship."
The second-year head coach is trying to convey the life lessons he learned while playing at Texas to his Panther program.
"What I try and share with my guys is the sense of family it takes to be successful," he said. "A true sense of team and having each other's backs is so important. In addition, you have to put the work in every day. There are no shortcuts if you want to be great.
"I know it sounds cliché, but you also have to trust the process.
The truly great teams do it. If we do those things, we should be fine." The experiences Mouton has enjoyed in the sport of basketball run the gamut from playing a Final Four in his home state of Louisiana, to facing some of the most talented athletes in the world.
But his greatest experiences may be in front of him.
"I couldn't have gotten here without great coaches and mentors," he said. "I really feel like God has something to do with me being at St. Pius X. This is part of his plan. I'm using basketball as a tool to give back to my guys. I'm trying to instill qualities that will make them great dads and great husbands."
St. Pius X Magazine: Forward Thinking
ENGAGEMENT AND CELEBRATION ARE TWO WORDS THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN THE DAILY WORK OF ST. PIUS X ATHLETIC DIRECTOR JEFF FELLER.
Keeping their student-athletes engaged with what is going on in the athletic department and also celebrating them is important. On top of that, Feller strives to keep the community engaged.
"The best way to do that is to find different mediums, outlets, and ideas to continue moving forward," Feller said. "We always want everyone involved with St. Pius X to understand and know the successes and growth that's happening with our athletic department."
Some of the innovative ideas that Feller, coaches, and staff pushed forward this year included digital football and rugby programs; a Topgolf football fundraiser; a girls athletics crawfish boil fundraiser; weekly schedules on Twitter; Panther Power Performers; a weight room record board; Monthly Panther Forecast newsletter; Muffins with Mom, Decals with Dad; and a weekly football coaches show.
One of the biggest projects undertaken at St. Pius X this year was the installation of a turf field at Kubiak Stadium, which is utilized by football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, and many other student activities.
"Taking people out there and seeing it and the overall experience and feel of what's going on at Parsley Field, it just adds a new vibe and excitement not only to the athletic department but also the school," Feller said.
Another initiative the athletics department looks forward to adding is an SPX Showcase this summer. At the event, athletes had height, weight, shoe size, reach, wingspan, and hand size measured. Then on the field participated in a 20-yard dash, 40-yard dash, vertical jump, pro agility and broad jump.
"This provides an opportunity to begin a recruitment portfolio for each athlete that we can send off to colleges," Feller said.
So, what's next for St. Pius X Athletics?
"One of the big things we want to try and get up and running this summer is a Wall of Honor or a Hall of Fame to really honor those alumni who were standout student-athletes," Feller said. "It's something we've been wanting to do for a while."