Q&A with Columbine football head coach Andy Lowry
LITTLETON, Colo. — Andy Lowry is the Head Football Coach at Columbine High School, where he is entering his 29th season. I had the pleasure of asking him a few questions about what makes the team so special.
How long have you been coaching?
Andy Lowry: I have coached for 35 years, and have been head coach at Columbine for 28. I am also a physical education teacher and assistant track coach at the school.
What is your background in sports?
Lowry: I grew up playing sports. I played football and basketball in high school and played quarterback at Western State College in Gunnison.
What are one or two things that the team does in training that are keys to their success?
Lowry: One key to the team’s success is the consistency of weight room training year-round. Weight training provides a huge advantage for athletes in any sport.
Another key to success is that the coaches are in the building with the athletes. They develop and support them as students and people in the school as well as on the field. These are great kids who work hard! My daughter open-enrolled at Columbine, and one of the reasons is that the students there are people you just want to be around.
Please describe some of the most memorable games your team has won.
Lowry: In 1999, after the tragedy at the school, the football team won the state championship the very next season. The emotion around this was pretty incredible and did a lot to help unite and bring hope and healing. In 2011, the team went undefeated for the season and brought home the 5A State Championship victory. More recently, in 2019, the Columbine Rebels beat Valor in the state championship quarterfinals. This was pretty special, we beat a really good football team on their home field.
How do you encourage the team after a disappointing loss?
Lowry: We have a group of coaches who have been together for a long time, and we take losses really hard. Losses stick with you. But just like in life, you learn more by experiencing loss. When we look at the film, we learn from our mistakes and also notice the good things that happened. We rely on our ability and potential. Losing teaches the importance of perseverance and sticking together.
In the 2021 season, we went through a couple of rough games in a row. We were beaten by Valor in a tough, physical game. Then, we lost our next game during the last play of the game. It would have been easy to give up, but we coached harder, encouraged the players, and the kids played harder. They came back and beat Pomona. I was really proud of them. They went on to win the next couple of playoff games and lost the final game to Valor in a really close, well-played game. I was more proud of the team in this game than in some of the wins we had.
What are some of the life lessons you teach your athletes?
Lowry: Commitment, hard work, believing, trusting, and being selfless. It’s not about ‘me’, it’s about ‘we’. A lot of guys have to switch positions, and some guys don’t get to play a lot. But they learn to stick with it, which helps them learn to become a better parent, employee, or husband in the future. Football is the ultimate team sport – it’s hard and you have to train year-round. Like life, it’s not always easy and you learn not to give up through the ups and downs. Each athlete represents the whole program, and the coaches also represent all 120 kids and the school. They have a responsibility to treat each other well on the field, in the hallway, or in the classroom.
What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from being a coach?
Lowry: I am thankful for all the blessings. I pray every day and ask God to be a beacon of light. My assistant coaches mean the world to me. Some of us have coached together since day one, and some have played on the team and came back to coach. I love seeing alumni as husbands, fathers, and friends. The relationships are key and the coaches foster that. They are great leaders and the program is built around those guys.
What else would you like to add?
Lowry: Frank DeAngelis and Scott Christy and the rest of the Columbine administration have always provided great support. The coaches are all in the building as teachers, making an impact in the classroom. We have such great coaches and kids!
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