MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / June 9, 1999

LUTCHER – Lutcher’s Tim Detillier has been honored with a number of awards throughout his distinguished career, including being named the state’s coach and athletic director of the year.

Detillier received what may be one of his most prestigious honors recently when he was selected as this year’s recipient of the A. I.Rexinger Award by the Southwest Coaches & Officials Conference. Theaward has been presented annually to an active Mississippi or Louisiana coach who best exemplifies the integrity, dedication, leadership, sportsmanship, winning attitude, communication and motivational skills and community involvement characterized by coach Rexinger.

The award is named in honor of the late A. I. Rexinger who compiled arecord of 166-59-5 in a 23-year football coaching career in Mississippi high schools. Rexinger also coached basketball for 16 years, compiling a294-71 record and had a record of 88-26 in coaching baseball for eight years. His career included stops at Mississippi City, Millsaps, Biloxi andNatchez high schools. Rexinger was admitted to the Mississippi CoachesHall of Fame in 1976 and is a member of the Biloxi Hall of Fame.

To qualify for the award, a coach must have been a head football coach for at least five years; have a winning record; have integrity and character; be dedicated and display good sportsmanship; and be active within the community.

“Coach Rex was all these things,” Andy Pressgrove of the conference said.

“We look for that every year.”The award is alternated between coaches from Louisiana and Mississippi each year. After a coach is nominated by a member of the SWCOC, input isgathered from the coach’s principal and peers with the award winner selected by the conference’s board of directors. Award winners fromLouisiana have included Neville’s Charlie Brown, Covington’s Jack Salter and Vidalia’s Dee Faircloth.

Detillier has compiled a record of 63-30 as head coach of Lutcher after coming over from St. Charles Catholic. Detillier started his career atLutcher and will start his 21st year in coaching in 1999. His 1998 squadwent 10-3 and ad-vanced to the state semifinals.

Detillier said he was not aware of the award until he was called and was told he was being nominated for it early last month. He said a lot of peopleare responsible for the honor, including his wife and his staff and said he considers it another award for his players.

“I’m definitely flattered, humbled,” Detillier said. “When I found out aboutit, I was really honored.”The Southwest Coaches & Officials Conference was founded in the late 1970s to help with the animosity that was then occurring between the coaches and officials. The Conference holds coaches and official clinicsand also presents an A. I. Rexinger Scholarship each year to a deservingplayer in Adams County or Concordia Parish.

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