Following public comments from his former players – and other coaches whom he mentored, including his son Brook – retired Katy High School softball coach Kalum Haack was selected by Katy ISD trustees to have the Katy High School softball field named in his honor. The tribute was first discussed in the board’s July 20 work study meeting and was unanimously approved in the July 27 regular board meeting.

“Over his time with the Tigers since 1996, Haack turned the program into one of the most prestigious in the state,” Katy Times Sports Editor Tyler Tyre wrote upon Haack’s retirement in 2024. “The Tigers never missed the playoffs in his entire tenure as head coach, won outright district championships in each of Haack’s final nine years and reached at least the regional semifinals of the playoffs in 18 of his 26 years. But it wasn’t just the impact Haack made for his team on the field, it was what he taught them off the field as well that will make the biggest difference in their lives.”

And public speakers who came to the July 20 board of trustees work study meeting made that point eloquently.

“The name on that field should represent someone who has helped shape these values for generations,” said Tim Ripinger during public comments in the work study meeting. “Coach Haack has done exactly that. Throughout a distinguished career at Katy High, Coach Haack has dedicated countless hours to building not only a successful softball program, but also strong, confident young women. Wins in championships are certainly worth celebrating, but a coach's greatest legacy is measured by the lives they influence. Every athlete who left the program with greater confidence, stronger character, lifelong memories, and that's a part of Coach Haack's lasting impact.”

Haack coached more than players – he mentored his protegees, helping them become great coaches as well. Megan VanEtta, current head coach of the Katy High School softball team who propelled the Tigers to the 2026 state title win following a 39-5 season and a 22-game streak, spoke passionately about Haack’s influence. She said that as a junior high student, she told Haack that she was going to come back to Katy High and work with him some day…and she did.

“This request is deeply personal,” VanEtta told the KISD board members at the July 20 work study meeting. “Coach Haack coached me from the time I was 11 years old until I graduated high school. During some of the most important years of my life, he helped shape the person I became. He demanded discipline, accountability, and excellence, not simply because he wanted to win games, which is definitely a nice perk, but because he believed that those qualities would prepare us for a long life after softball, of becoming wives and mothers. Like so many of his former players, I wanted to make Coach Haack proud. Not because I was afraid of disappointing him, but because I knew how deeply he cared about each one of us. He had a unique ability to make us believe that you were capable of more than you believed yourself. That is a gift that very few coaches possess.”

“This deserves its own moment here when we are naming a facility,” said Rebecca Fox, board vice president at the July 27 meeting. “His demeanor, his intent, how he works with people…the kind of aura and respect that he has – I just think that it is super wonderful that this is happening and that we are honoring him.”