An
interview with Coach Horn
By Chris
Lillja
Magis staff writer
Much
of Jesuit has known Coach Horn as a Math Chairman and Swimming
and Water Polo coach for the past 23 years, but there is much
more to know about the life of this longtime teacher.
With one brother and two sisters, Mr. Robert Horn grew up
in a family of Irish and German ancestry. His active childhood
led him to participate in Boy Scouts, and develop a deep love
for swimming. Mr. Horn’s Catholic family put him in
the Aquinas Institute of Rochester, the local Catholic school
in his hometown of Rochester, New York. The Aquinas Institute
was led by members of the Basilian order, a religious order
of the Church similar to the Jesuits in their love for teaching.
Mr. Horn reflects on his education saying, “The people
who taught me, made me want to be like them. They were a positive
impact on my life. As a kid, I considered teaching and religion
one and the same.”
After graduating from the Aquinas Institute, Mr. Horn joined
the Basilians, whom he felt calling him to serve. The Basilians
taught “goodness, discipline, and knowledge,”
and Mr. Horn reflects these virtues as well. He graduated
from the University of St. Thomas with a degree in Math and
returned to the Aquinas Institute, where he taught and was
the assistant Cross Country and Swimming coach. After 3 years
of teaching, Mr. Horn spent the following two years studying
theology in Toronto. After ten years of being in the Basilians,
Mr. Horn left. This is likely because of his devotion for
teaching, and stated, “Teaching is a devotion by itself.”
Mr. Horn was spending time in Europe with his wife when he
received a phone call from Fr. Orlando, then the president
of Strake Jesuit, who asked Mr. Horn if he would be willing
to teach at Jesuit. Mr. Horn accepted Fr. Orlando’s
invitation because of the familiar Catholic school environment
and the offer of being the Math Chairman and Swimming Coach.
In 1981, Mr. Horn came to Jesuit, and in addition to teaching,
he coached swimming teams to become the 1985 and 1986 TCIL
State Champions. Coach Horn became the first Water Polo coach
at Strake in 1988, but left Jesuit athletics in 1990, while
continuing to teach.
Coach Horn assumed the St. Agnes Swimming and Water Polo coaching
positions the following year. At St. Agnes, his swim team
won the TAPPS state tournaments from 1994 through 1999 in
addition to the Water Polo TISCA state tournament in 1997.
Since 1999, Coach Horn once again has been leading the Jesuit
Swimming and Water Polo teams.
During the school day, Mr. Horn can be found teaching Geometry,
Introductory to Analysis, and Calculus.
One of his Geometry students said,” Mr. Horn is disciplined
and easy to talk to.”
Coach Horn plans to continue teaching and coaching at Jesuit
for at least five more years. Plans after Jesuit are to retire
peacefully to his property in Shulenberg, TX.
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