We continue our look at the best coaches in the Big Country with the coach of the week.

This week we are going to Hardin-Simmons, the Cowboys are getting ready to finish off the regular season in college football this week.

The strength and conditioning coach goes unnoticed at many schools, but it’s almost impossible to miss the Cowboys Hagen Little, he’s The Coach of the Week.

Hagen Little said, “I didn’t really talk to people I was really quiet on my own and then Freshman year of college I met a guy, I went to Lee High University and ran college track and he said, ‘Dude you gotta open up a little bit, you’re a little uptight’ and I said, ‘All right man I’ll give it a shot’. Ever since then I kind of yell, scream, headbutt people all that.”

“Hooyah, Hooyah,” shouted coach Little.

Little added, “Yeah, it’s kind of cool I guess, the loudness. We’re at volleyball games, headbutting people. I’m kicking and moving. I think all that’s cool, but we do it for bigger reasons, it has nothing to do with us. We get that bad image of you’re the strength coach oh you’re that guy. But we really do it for the kids, I don’t do much, I sleep at the facility just trying to wait on championships. I’m trying to get on the computer and figure out how we can do lifting better. I don’t really do a whole lot other than this so I think when you put your whole life into this, and pour into the kids then I think that’s just the product you’re gonna get. I’m like this on the sidelines, on gameday, at practice, at 6 a.m. in the morning, at 5 a.m. in the morning, 4 a.m. in the morning whenever we got workouts going.”

“Hey let’s go, hey let’s go,” said coach Little.

Hagen said, “But yeah you do caffeine and all that stuff and I think it’s the energy that comes from the kids. Man, when you’re seeing results from the kids and loving what they do and like getting up for the weight room then it’s a pretty special place to be in. And for me, if the kids are enjoying practice and they’re loving what’s going on, then that’s good enough for me. So, the loudness is all flashy, it’s all that stuff.”

“Let’s go knee highs, karaoke knee highs,” said coach Little with a loud voice.

Little said, “I’ve got a bell out here, why do we need a bell I don’t even know, but you know it’s a cool PR bell. But it’s fun, it’s a great environment at Hardin-Simmons across every sport. I work with golf, volleyball, football, soccer everybody right. I think that’s what we wanna bring to Hardin-Simmons that kids wanna come here and have fun. If you aren’t having fun at practice, if you’re not having fun in the weight room, then why are you doing what you do. Show up for a one day a week gameday? That’s ridiculous man, show up, have fun and along the way if you’re loud and obnoxious and slip and bust your head, blood running down your face and you got a yelling coach then do it. That’s part of our gig and that’s what we do. That to me is what makes Hardin-Simmons special, it’s an amazing place to be so.”

The Cowboys are on the road for one final game this Saturday against Texas Lutheran and looking for their 500th win.