Woodard steps down as Lady Panthers’ coach

Paradise girls basketball coach Chad Woodard announced his decision to step back from the program in order to pursue higher education this week. Woodard has led the Lady Panthers to back-to-back District 10-3A titles (2023, 2024). MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER

After leading the Paradise Lady Panthers to back-to-back District 10-3A titles, coach Chad Woodard will not return to the sidelines in the 2024-25 season. 

On Monday, Woodard announced his intention to depart the program and pursue higher education. 

“This has been the best eight years of my coaching career,” Woodard said. “It was a really tough decision. We love kids in this profession, and any time you make a decision to leave the kids you love is always tough. I’ve had the privilege to coach a lot of great girls here at Paradise, but I think this is the right decision for me and my family. My son [Cooper] is going to be a senior next year, and I’ve missed a ton of his sports over the years. This is something I’ve been praying about, and the Lord’s opened a door to where this is going to work out — I believe if He opens a door, you need to walk through it.” 

With his spare time away from the Lady Panthers’ bench, Woodard plans to take classes to earn his master degree and principal certification. He will continue to serve on Paradise’s coaching staff as an assistant for football, boys basketball and baseball.

“Leaving the girls side of the athletic department is going to be very difficult,” Woodard said. “But I’m one that believes you should live your life by these three things in order — God, family and work. That’s something I need to get back to doing. My daughter [Briley] is going to be a freshman next year, so she’ll be involved, and I’ll get to watch her play. When I see the girls next time, it’s going to be tough, but I know they’re going to be in good hands.”       

Before taking the reins of the Lady Panther program in May 2016 after the retirement of Kevin Pope, Woodard previously coached boys basketball at Chico for one season, and coached at Saint Jo for four years. 

At Paradise, Woodard compiled a 141-112 overall record (55.7 win percentage), and earned six postseason trips.

After losing in the first round in the team’s first three playoff appearances under Woodard, the Lady Panthers broke through in 2021 with a 41-36 upset win over 9-3A district champion Maypearl, and made a run to the regional quarterfinals. Paradise went 4-6 in postseason games during Woodard’s tenure.

The Lady Panthers ended a 65-year district title drought in 2022, earning the team’s first league championship under Woodard.

In his final season, Woodard’s Paradise squad went 28-8, including a repeat 13-1 record in 10-3A to claim the team’s second league crown. 

Paradise earned a 74-5 bi-district win against Duncanville Village Tech, but was knocked out in the area round in an overtime loss to Edgewood, 51-47.

“As a coach, you’re always trying to build the program for the playoffs, and to see the team win playoff games is a really nice bonus,” Woodard said. “The last couple of years, there’s been a lot of excitement on the court. All of our success has been a credit to the kids, including two consecutive district titles. We’ve had some heartbreaking losses in the playoffs in the last two years, but they’ll get over it and move on because they’re resilient. Losses are life lessons, and it’s all about how you bounce back. We’ve accomplished big things together, and I’m very thankful.” 

On Monday, Paradise ISD superintendent Will Brewer announced the hiring of former Alvord girls basketball coach Michael Barnes as the Lady Panthers next coach. 

“The tradition’s still going to continue [under Barnes],” Woodard said. “I’ve known Michael for several years, especially while he was at Alvord. Since I still have a daughter in the program, I’m very happy he’s on board. His knowledge of the game is awesome.”  

Before leaving Alvord after the 2021 season, Barnes led the Lady Bulldogs to a 45-16 record in four seasons, with four consecutive trips to the playoffs.

“I’m super excited,” Barnes said. “My family is really looking forward to the opportunity… There’s a lot of great people in Wise County that have reached out and congratulated us. It’s an opportunity God has put before us, and we’re ready to rock and roll with it.”  

Barnes comes to Paradise after serving three years as the girls basketball coach and girls athletic coordinator at Miles ISD.

The Lady Bulldogs (25-8) grabbed its first 8-2A title under Barnes last season, and went 66-34 overall in three seasons. Miles claimed a 52-38 bi-district title over Eldorado before falling to Sundown in the second round (64-43).    

Barnes hopes to continue the Lady Panthers’ winning tradition.

“Woodard is a great coach, and he’s done a fantastic job with them,” he said. “When this opportunity presented itself, I was ecstatic to just be considered for it, seeing everything he has done. They lost a couple of seniors this year, but we’ve still got the All-Wise Offensive Player of the Year (Gazey Yates) and Sixth Man of the Year (Brittan Richey) coming back… My oldest daughter [Jayci] will be a sophomore, and she was All-West Texas and district Newcomer of the Year, so I’m hoping she can fit in with them. We’ll have some really solid pieces to work with in these next couple of years.”