3 Minute Drill

In the summer of 2017, in response to the urgent need for mental health services in her community, Heather Lambert left her 17-year career in education. Building upon her experience working as a classroom teacher, school counselor and administrator, she founded Clearhope Counseling & Wellness Center. Clearhope began with the simple mission to remove access barriers to high-quality mental health services. Today, Clearhope has multiple locations in the Greater Houston area. Heather and the Clearhope teams partner with school districts to provide on-campus mental health services, and trauma-informed trainings to support educators and students. Heather is the author of Overcoming Toxic Air A Path to Healing and Hope-Filled Exhales. Heather is also involved in political advocacy and was appointed to HB 906 Mental Health Task Force to study and evaluate mental health services to improve mental wellness in public schools across the state of Texas. Heather is driven by her personal vision that “No one should hurt alone.” Heather has been married to Pastor Brian Lambert for 30 years. Brian and Heather have 4 children.

Coach Matt Nally has been at the helm of Melissa Football since 2015. As the Head Football Coach, he has steered the Melissa Cardinal football team to an impressive overall record of 80-24, with a playoff record of 11-5. Nally's coaching prowess has been recognized with prestigious titles such as Coach of the Year for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023). His dedication to the sport was further acknowledged when he was named Texas High School Coach of the Week in 2020 and Dallas Cowboy Coach of the Week in 2023. His coaching journey began at Cayuga High School, where he held various coaching roles before ascending to positions of greater responsibility. Beyond his on-field accomplishments, Nally has also made significant contributions to the coaching profession through his publications in Texas Coach Magazine, his instructional video series with Championship Productions and Coach Tube, and his role as a keynote speaker at numerous clinics across the state of Texas. Nally graduated from Frankston High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of North Texas in 2003 and a Master of Education in Administration from Lamar University in 2011.

Travis Reeve is in his 25th year of coaching, and 12th year as a head football coach. As an assistant, he began his coaching career in 1998 at his high school alma mater Victoria High School. He then made stops at Plano West, San Antonio MacArthur, Cuero, and San Antonio Churchill. In 2012, he was named head football coach at Cuero High School where he spent 8 seasons, including a 4A Division II State Championship in 2018. In 2020, he became the head football coach at New Caney High School, and spent three seasons there. In 2022, New Caney finished as undefeated District 13-6A Champions and Area Finalist with an 11-2 record, which was the most wins in school history. Following the 2022 season, he took the head football coaching job at El Campo High School.

Dereck Rush started his high school football coaching career as a Co-Defensive Coordinator/Varsity Defensive Ends Coach at Odessa High School in 2000. He went onto serve on coaching staffs at Midland Christian High School and John Tyler High School, where was named the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator in 2007, overseeing 65 coaches and 1,200 student-athletes. In 2012 he accepted the head coach and assistant athletic director position at Oak Ridge High School in Conroe, overseeing 85 coaches and 1,900 student-athletes. Rush is an active member in his church where he serves on the member board of directors, is involved in several athletic associations and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His career includes the implementation of character development and community service programs for student-athletes, overseeing construction projects and developing numerous community partnerships. He earned a Master of Education degree from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University where he was a member of the Bulldogs' football team. He also holds a certified athletic administrator certification from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and a teen leadership course certification from the Flippen Group's Capturing Kids' Hearts program.

Coach Bear Murchison is currently in his 29th year of coaching. Coach Bear is the defensive coordinator at Oak Ridge High School in the Conroe Independent School District since 2020. Before his time at Oak Ridge, Coach Bear was the defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at The Woodlands High School (2005–2020). Before his varsity coaching, he held various roles as a campus coordinator, junior high coordinator and assistant coach in wrestling, track and field. He coached in the 2016 6A Football State Championship, was the throws coach for TWHS in 1999 when they won their first state title in Track and Field. He also started the wrestling program at TWHS as served as the head coach. He has been a wrestling assistant coach for 19 years. Coach Bear has helped to send over 35 football players to play at the college level in his 18 years as a varsity football coach. In four seasons as the defensive coordinator at Oak Ridge, his defenses have finished in the top 3 in district stats all four years. Oak Ridge has made the playoffs three out of four of those years and has two play-off wins in that time. Oak Ridge had three play-off wins in the prior 38 years. Coach Bear is a graduate of Texas A&M, ‘93, earning a BS in Kinesiology and Science Composite as his second teaching field. He earned a master's in education administration from Lamar university in 2009. In 2007, Coach Bear was recognized by the Montgomery County Hospital System with the Lifesaver Award for helping deliver CPR and use an AED to save the life of a coach who collapsed during practice. During his time in Aggieland he interned as a student athletic trainer for the Aggie Football and Aggie Track and Field teams. He earned his Athletic Trainer's License in 1995. He grew up in Fredericksburg, Texas and is a 1989 graduate of Fredericksburg High School where he earned letters in football and track and field. He has been married to his wife Stacey for 20 years and has two children.

Lindsey Killingsworth serves as the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy. She received a bachelor's of science in kinesiology (2007) and master's of science in sport management (2016) from Texas A&M University. Lindsey has over 15 years of experience in public education in Texas serving ISDs in the Panhandle, East Texas, and the Brazos Valley. During her coaching career she was a high school head basketball coach and assistant cross country and track coach. She has also served as a middle school athletic coordinator and head volleyball, basketball, and track coach. She specializes in creation, management, communication, and logistics of events in the educational and sports setting. As a former physical education teacher, she is passionate about life-long fitness and physical activity. Lindsey is also a certified RYT-200 yoga instructor and teaches classes in Bryan-College Station.

Dr. Craig began working in the Texas A&M Athletics Department in August of 2017 and is currently the Assistant Director of Counseling & Sport Psychology Services. Dr. Craig completed her bachelor's degree in psychology from Midwestern State University and her master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Central Oklahoma. She earned a PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Oklahoma, where she worked with the Psychological Resources for OU Student-Athlete's (PROS) office for three years as a graduate assistant and clinical practicum student. Dr. Craig also completed her doctoral internship with the Student Counseling Service at Texas A&M's Student Counseling Service from 2016-2017, where she received specialized training and work with student-athletes under the supervision of Dr. Ryan Pittsinger and Dr. Mary Ann Covey.

Coach Miles is in his 11th year in education and 10th year in FBISD. After serving a year as the Assistant Coach, he was named Swimming & Diving Head Coach in the Spring of 2021 where he quickly reorganized the team into a growing Aquatics program in anticipation of UIL's newest sport: Water Polo. Prior to teaching, Coach Miles spent 15 years in the U.S. Navy serving aboard 3 different fast attack submarines as a Chief Petty Officer. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Sport Management from Texas A&M and is a member of the Thornton-McFerrin Coaching Academy's Veteran Coaching Program.

Episode 21: Troy Degar

Christina Amo is a 4th year Ph.D. student in the School of Public Health. Her research focuses on Sport and Exercise Psychology. She is a coach and former athlete.