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It took Brian Polk three seasons, but his efforts to return Van Alstyne's football team to the postseason finally paid off for the Panthers. Now Polk will realize an even greater personal dividend with a position at a bigger school.

Polk, the Herald Democrat Class 3A-4A coach of the year for 2008, was hired on Monday night by the Northwest Independent School District to become campus athletic coordinator/head coach at the new Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club.

"I think it's got a chance to be a good job," Polk said Tuesday afternoon. "It's an exciting opportunity, but there's a lot of hard work ahead."

Polk said he plans to divide his time between both schools for the time being.

Polk will build Byron Nelson's program from the ground up. The school won't open until this fall with freshmen and sophomores only, and won't begin varsity play until 2010, most likely as a Class 4A member.

"That's the intriguing thing about it," Polk said. "We'll be able to establish all the new traditions and the things that come along with it."

Van Alstyne ISD superintendent Dr. Alan Seay said he was saddened by Polk's departure, but that the position of athletic director and head football coach will be posted immediately and that the search for a successor will be thorough.

"We're having a board meeting on Thursday, and we'll talk about a process and a timeline," Seay said. "We don't want to make (the search) so fast that it'll preclude any potential applicants from applying."

Polk, 33, has served as AD and head football coach at Van Alstyne since 2006 and was previously an offensive coordinator at Garland (1999-2000) and Allen (2001-05). With Polk on staff, Garland won the 1999 Class 5A Division II state championship.

Polk's Panthers finished with 2-8 records in both 2006 and 2007, but last year Van Alstyne used a new defensive scheme to make a significant turnaround.

The Panthers finished the regular season 7-3 and were District 10-3A runners-up, before running into a Celina club en route to its fourth state final appearance in as many years in the bi-district round.

"He's done a remarkable job," Seay said. "We're still one of the smallest 3A schools in the state of Texas. We're fighting an uphill battle with 400 kids playing people with 800 or 900. Given that we're a small school, he did an outstanding job."

During Polk's tenure, Van Alstyne also underwent a massive upgrade in facilities, including a new stadium which opened last fall.

"Coming in and getting a new staff, (experiencing) all the changes, and getting the kids to buy into what's going on, it was a lot of work," Polk said. "I have nothing but positive things to say about the school and the administration. The place is in better shape, and that's the most important thing for the kids."

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