Some journeys aren’t defined by smooth victories. They are defined by heart, purpose, and perseverance when the world shifts beneath your feet.
Coach Kurt Hines is one of those journeys.
Kurt Hines spent more than two decades teaching, coaching, and pouring his life into young people on and off the football field. For nine seasons he served as head football coach at Coronado High School in California, where he guided his teams not just to wins and losses, but toward discipline, character, and personal growth. Over that span, he built a program grounded in accountability, personal development, and relational coaching that went well beyond the scoreboard. Coaches and players alike lived under systems that emphasized weekly grade checks, standards of conduct, and a culture of commitment and integrity.
Then, in late 2025, after nearly a decade at the helm, Hines was informed that his contract would not be renewed and that he was no longer head coach, with little explanation offered by the district. In his own social media video, he acknowledged the moment with both honesty and resolve — “Will I be OK? Yes. Will I end up somewhere else? Yes. That’s it. I’ve got to practice what I preach: Take it for what it’s worth, and stay strong.”
This moment — an abrupt ending without clear reason — is the very kind of human experience that shapes conviction and calls deeper questions into focus: When the story we’ve worked for changes suddenly, where does our identity stand? Who are we when the job title or role is removed? How do we find strength to keep moving forward?
For Hines, football coaching was never just about X’s and O’s. It was about empowerment.
In July 2024 he published his book Called to Empower, a collection of stories, principles, and reflections drawn from his long career in education and athletics. The book isn’t about athletic technique alone — it’s about mentorship and the belief that every person has the capacity for growth, resilience, and purpose. Using real-life anecdotes and disciplined leadership principles, Hines invites readers to face adversity with courage and to embrace discomfort as a pathway to influence and impact. Coach Kurt Hines+1
His coaching philosophy extended beyond game plans to teaching life skills — how to navigate setbacks, how to cultivate discipline, how to serve others with intentionality and compassion. On social platforms he became known not for sensationalism, but for consistent messages about character development and strength in adversity, often closing videos with his enduring mantra: “Take it for what it’s worth, and stay strong.” The Coronado News
That phrase is more than a tagline. It is a theology of perseverance — a reminder that life’s twisting turns are not detours from purpose, but part of the terrain that refines it.
On this episode of the Load the Wagon Podcast, we sit down with Coach Hines to explore his journey — not just the wins and losses, but the calling that undergirds them. We talk about leadership as service, the heart of true coaching, and what it means to stay committed to God’s design when circumstances shift and clarity doesn’t come on your timetable.
This is a conversation about endurance, identity, and resolve — about finding strength not in stability, but in obedience when the outcome is uncertain.
If you want a story that honors hard work, embraces discomfort, and celebrates the power of believing there is more to life than the scoreboard, this episode is for you.