Derek Fitzhenry

An accomplished coach and athletic director, Derek Fitzhenry played four different sports in high school. He was inducted into the DeKalb Sports Hall of Honor for his accomplishments. While studying undergraduate social sciences and physical education at Louisiana Tech University, he competed as a member of the division 1 football team. He received a football scholarship in his sophomore year and started at tight end in his junior and senior years. After graduation, Derek Fitzhenry served as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator for the Louisiana Tech University football team who went on to be Independence Bowl Champions of 1990. After Louisiana Tech, Derek Fitzhenry taught high school and coached athletics in Texas. He returned to the academic environment twice over the coming decades, earning his master of education from Prairie View A&;M University in 1999 and his master of educational leadership/principal certification from Lamar University in 2015. Since 2014, Derek Fitzhenry served as the assistant Head Coach and strength and conditioning coordinator with North Shore High School (NSHS) in Houston’s Galena Park Independent School District. His daily duties revolve around coaching male and female student athletes through targeted programs. Mr. Fitzhenry simultaneously coordinates all athletic coaches and teams across NSHS’ 9th-grade campus and the North Shore senior high campus. As the strength and conditioning coach and a 9th-grade campus athletic coordinator at North Shore High School (NSHS) in Houston, Texas, Derek Fitzhenry provided training for 900 student-athletes in 12 different sports. He also organizes the efforts of 38 assistant coaches and head coaches from a variety of NSHS teams. Derek Fitzhenry’s work with the NSHS varsity football team includes serving as the head coach for the offensive line. With his assistance, the team became 6A Division 1 State Champions in 2015. On the road to winning the State Championships, the North Shore football team beat some of the top programs in the state of Texas. Converse Judson was the Semi-Final opponent for the Mustangs and the Cy-Falls Eagles where the Regional Semi-Finals. Before joining the faculty of North Shore High School in 2014, Fitzhenry served tenures as an athletic director for the Giddings Independent School District of Giddings, Texas. While at Giddings Coach Fitz was Coach of the Year 4 years in a row. He holds the record for most wins and highest winning percentage in Giddings school history. His football teams won 21 championships and the overall athletic program had several top 10 finishes in the Lone Star Cup. His career was highlighted with a 2008 Semi-Finalist and a top 4 State Rank. His teams have ranked in the top 10, seven out of nine years. Derek Fitzhenry also served as an assistant head football coach/offensive coordinator with Odessa Permian High School in Odessa, Texas. During his time as the Offensive Coordinator, the offense set all the school passing records. They also led the district in total rushing offensive 2 years in a row. Odessa Permian has won 7 State Championships and was the focus for the book and movie, Friday Night Lights. Derek Fitzhenry is currently the Athletic Director at Sheldon I.S.D. Sheldon iSD is a 6A school district on the east side of Houston. He began his current job in Feb. 2017. Mr. Fitzhenry has held membership in the Texas High School Coaches Association for 27 years. He is also a member of the Baptist Church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. At the forefront of Derek Fitzhenry's life is his family. His wife is Cara Fitzhenry, is a special ed. teacher and coaches softball. He has a daughter Tatum and three sons, Brock, Spencer and Kade. His oldest two sons Brock and Spencer played QB for him at Giddings High School. Brock went on to play for the University of Texas. Spencer is currently studying abroad in Denmark with the Texas A&M School of Business. Kade graduates from straight at Giddings High School with academic honors and plans to major in avionics when he graduates and moves on to college.