AC’s Montgomery Promoted to Athletic Director

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Men’s Basketball Coach Assumes Role of Area Icon Davis

Angelina College on Friday announced that men’s basketball head coach J.J. Montgomery will serve as Athletic Director while continuing to serve as head coach for the Roadrunners’ basketball program.

Montgomery, in his second full season as the men’s basketball head coach, is a Lufkin and Angelina College icon. He holds individual records at both Lufkin High School and at AC, and is a known leader throughout the entire East Texas region. Montgomery played for former Roadrunner head coach and athletics director Guy Davis.

Montgomery said his focus moving forward will be to ensure all Roadrunner athletics programs reach their full potential.

“The main thing I want to do is to see these programs thrive,” Montgomery said. “We have a great team here to build something special together.

“I want to see us grow together as one unit. Not just basketball, or baseball, or softball, or soccer, but as a single unit working together as one. I want to see all our coaches talking to all of our student/athletes and helping them realize their full potential in every area of life, and not just in athletics. Anyone who knows me knows I’m going to work night and day to make everything the best we can make it, and I know we have the coaches who can make this special.”

Davis, who recently marked his 45th year with Angelina College, leaves an indelible mark on both the community and the college. Under his guidance, Angelina College saw an NJCAA national champion with Lady Roadrunner softball in 2014, along with several national tournament appearances over the years. AC teams have experienced national recognition on a regular basis with Davis, the former men’s basketball coach, at the helm.

“These are going to be some tough shoes to fill without a doubt,” Montgomery said of his former head coach. “Coach Davis has done a phenomenal job building our athletics programs, and he’s a legend. I played for him, and for years he’s been like a father figure to me. Moving forward, I’m going to soak up as much advice as I can from that man. He’s earned a lot of respect not just in our community but around the nation for the work he’s done here.

“He’s a special man, and his legacy is going to continue.”

The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

Gary Stallard
Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as a Liberal Arts Instructor, begins his eleventh season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association’s first-place award for column writing in 2007 and in 2014. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and live streaming play-by- play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate. Currently Stallard serves as play-by-play broadcaster for AC basketball, baseball and softball games. Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years. He currently teaches Developmental Writing classes at AC. He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.

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