Buoyed by staff and administrative support, Mark Twain’s Leake resigns to become college coach

CENTER, Mo. — Austin Leake understood the opportunity to chase his dream of coaching football at the college level came at a rather inopportune time.

He wasn’t going to pursue it if anyone within his family, the Mark Twain coaching staff or the Mark Twain administration had serious reservations.

The gentle nudge from their overriding support allowed Leake to resign as head football coach at his alma mater even with the Tigers’ first practice looming August 8. The Mark Twain school board accepted his resignation Friday night, voting unanimously to let him out of his contract and paving the way for him to become the tight ends coach at Henderson State University.

“It’s bittersweet with the combinations of situations here,” said Leake, who led the Tigers to a 10-2 record last season in his first year at the helm. “It’s been a painful week. And it’s been a neat week. It’s been a long one. … I’m extremely fortunate here because what Class 1 coach gets the chance to be a position coach at a really good D-II program.”

A little more than a week ago, Henderson State — an NCAA Division II program based in Arkadelphia, Ark. — lost its tight ends coach. Having engaged in a conversation with Leake weeks earlier at a mud volleyball tournament, Reddies offensive coordinator Hayden Hawk decided to reach out to the 30-year-old coach to gauge his interest.

Four hours later, Leake and his girlfriend were on the road to Arkansas.

“I was like, ‘I have to go. I can’t say yes or no until I go,’” Leake said.

The trip went well enough for Leake to be offered the job and want to accept it.

Then it was time to talk to the Tigers coaching staff and administration.

“I didn’t want to do this if they didn’t understand and support it,” Leake said. “And they did. Most of them said, ‘Not only do I support you, but you have to do it.’ They understood what this opportunity meant.”

Leake then met with the players Thursday evening to discuss the situation.

“The kids were incredible. They completely understood,” Leake said. “There were a lot of tears from me and them both. They know I care about them, and they care about me the same. They were upset, but deep down they probably would have been upset with me if I didn’t chase this dream.”

Leake is joining a program that went 9-2 last season and has gone 117-59 in Scott Maxfield’s 16 seasons at the helm. The Reddies have won the Great American Conference championship and received an NCAA playoff berth three times in the last decade.

The Reddies return junior tight end Ayden Shurley, who was an honorable mention All-GAC selection last season.

“This is the dream I’ve always had,” Leake said. “I know I’m going to come out of it a lot better at my job. I’m going to learn a lot of things. I’m excited about that.”

He’s excited to see how the Tigers attack their season, too. Leake might be seven hours away, but he will be checking in consistently.

“I told all the kids, ‘Text me anytime at all, any day about anything. Just text me if you need me at all,’” Leake said. “I’ll wear my blue and white if I can on Fridays. I’ll be keeping up and rooting for them and everything.”