Encouraging. Impactful. Devoted. Entertaining. Supportive. All terms used to describe government teacher Jim Wirwahn, who will be retiring at the conclusion of this school year.

After 32 years teaching at Frisco High, Wirwahn’s favorite memory is moving from the building that is now Staley Middle School to the building Frisco High is in now.

“I would think the most memorable moment was when we moved over here in ‘95. It was really different to come from that small building that is now Stately Middle School and come over here,” Wirwahn said. “We ended up having to actually move it in here, put floors down and all kinds of stuff, like we were construction workers.”

Until 2003, Frisco was the only high school in the district, which gave Frisco the fond title “The Original.”

During homecoming, Wirwahn reminisced on when this was the only high school and how that used to be celebrated.

“We went to have the parade and we would always play on Saturday,” Wirwahn said. “Everybody was there. It was like the big game to come to.”

While the school no longer has the homecoming game on Saturday, similar traditions have been kept.

Every year there are spirit days the week leading up to homecoming, of course there’s the Texas tradition of mums and garters. There is also a pep rally the day of the homecoming football game where a spirit competition is held to see who is best dressed on Blue and Gold Day.

This year, Wirwahn won that award. Wirwahn usually doesn’t dress up for the pep rallies, but decided to go all out on his last homecoming.

“You know, I just thought it’d be nice, my last year going in, make it kind of special.” Wirwahn said. “Plus, those pep rallies seem to be kind of lax, and I thought I could go and give them a little spark or give some entertainment right there. So I don’t do that every time. But I liked those shorts, and it was an excuse for me to wear them.”

At the pep rally, Wirwahn wore camo blue and gold shorts with a shirt from when he was the powerlifting coach.

“The shirt is a shirt that I had left over from when I was coach,” Wirwahn said. “And that has our state championships on it from powerlifting.”

While his coaching career was before his youngest daughter, Ally Wirwahn, was born she hears stories from that time.

“I wasn’t alive when he was coaching, but I hear interesting stories from when he was,” Ally said. “There was one time when him (Wirwahn) and the girls were practicing, and the girl who I was actually named after was Allison. Allison was playing with dumbbells, and then she dropped it and part of her finger fell off.”

After 16 years coaching powerlifting, Wirwahn left the position in 2002. He then taught for nine years, and eventually took on the role as the history department head in 2011. During this time, he’s worked with many principals.

“I’ve told every principal that was here that I hoped when I left the building that I’d leave it better than when I found it,” Wirwahn said.

This story was originally published on The Racoon Rambler on May 10, 2024.