Abilene ISD Announce New Additions to Athletics Staff

ABILENE, Texas — Abilene ISD Executive Director of Athletics Jim Garfield announced Wednesday afternoon that Lou Mora will be the district’s new Assistant Director of Athletics.

“We had tremendous interest in the position, and Lou rose to the top,” Garfield said. “I knew he was the right person for the job.”

Mora has more than two decades of experience in public education as a teacher, coach, and district administrator.

He currently serves as Assistant Director of Athletics for Lubbock ISD. Before that, he held roles in athletics at Austin ISD, where he worked on event management and operations, collaborated directly with district maintenance crews, and served as a sports director among other duties.

“I like the winning attitude the city of Abilene has,” Mora said. “Abilene is a fit for competitive athletics, and I’m excited to get to town and get started.”

Mora will begin his job later this summer. He replaces current Assistant Director of Athletics Del van Cox, who announced his retirement earlier this year after 32 years in teaching, coaching, and administration, including the last 28 in Abilene.

Alfonzo Franklin Selected to Lead Abilene High Girls Basketball Program

Abilene ISD also announced Wednesday that Hale Center High School girls’ basketball coach Alfonzo Franklin – who won 63 games over the last three seasons with the Lady Owls – has been hired to the same position at Abilene High School.

Franklin replaces Brenda Andress, who is leaving the program as the head coach after three seasons at the helm.

Franklin has spent his entire teaching and coaching career in the Texas Panhandle working in Sudan, Littlefield, Lubbock, and Hale Center.

He’s been an assistant football, basketball, volleyball, and track and field coach in those stops.

“The application pool for the job was deep, but Alfonzo rose to the top,” AISD Athletics Director Jim Garfield said. “I believe the energy he’s going to bring to the program is exactly what we need to continue the momentum with that program.”

Before getting his first head coaching job at Hale Center ahead of the 2021-22 season, Franklin spent two seasons at Lubbock Estacado High School as an assistant boys’ basketball coach for head coach Tony Wagner.

At Hale Center, Franklin has made three trips to the state playoffs in his first head coaching job.

“It’s been my goal to be a head coach at a bigger school, but that’s not why I’m excited to be at Abilene High,” Franklin said. “I believe we’ve got a team on the cusp of having big seasons. The energy and effort I will bring daily to the job will be contagious. I want the players to be proud of what we do and achieve.”