By Brian Gosset
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
Soccer has been a big part of Derek Vierling’s life – it’s obvious when you see that he’s been a coach for over 30 years.
25 of those years have come with Aledo, but when Vierling got a major health scare just before the 2024 season, it was soccer that got his spirits back up.
“I was in the hospital for about 10 weeks from July through November of 2023. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. My platelets dropped to 2,000 and anything below 10,000 is considered a medical emergency,” Vierling said.
After five weeks in the ER, doing all kinds of tests, Vierling’s kidneys failed and he had to go on dialysis. When he went to UT Southwestern, doctors finally figured out what was going on – he had a rare blood disorder called Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS), where his platelets were being destroyed by other platelets.
Vierling said it’s not curable, but manageable.
He was taking tons of medications, doing infusions every eight weeks and lost 60 pounds the past three years.
“Soccer really got me back,” he said. “My wife Kellye kept asking if I wanted to go to practice in December of 2023 and I kept saying no. Then during one appointment, I fell asleep in the car and when I woke up, we were at the high school.
“I watched practice and all the boys came up to the car and said hi. It really lifted my spirits. Kellye asked if I wanted to go back the next day and I said I really needed to so I could correct one of the players on something.”
That’s the coach in him.
In the beginning, Vierling couldn’t drive or walk. He needed a cane to get around and sat on a bench during practices and matches.
Luckily, his kidneys improved and Vierling stopped dialysis in November of 2024.
“The dialysis was the toughest part,” he said. “It’s very debilitating and totally drains your energy. I had to do it every Tuesday and Thursday so it was very tough on game days.”
Life has improved for Coach V while Aledo has increased its win total each of the past three seasons. The Bearcats have won district back-to-back years, going 11-0-1 this season.
But this is it for Vierling.
He announced his retirement in February.
The Bearcats (19-3-1) will play Denton in the 5A D1 bi-district round at 7 pm Thursday at Eagle Mountain HS.
“I got over 150 text messages and phone calls when I announced it,” Vierling said. “I really want to enjoy an endless summer. I’ve been going to school my whole life – now I can enjoy that endless summer vacation.”
Aledo has reached two state championship games under Vierling’s watch, losing 3-2 to El Paso Del Valle in 2005 and losing 3-1 to Frisco Wakeland in 2018.
Additionally, Vierling pulled double duty while also coaching the girls team from 2005 until 2012. He was on staff when the Ladycats lost in the 2017 title game against Highland Park. He’s also helped coach the football team – a program that’s won a UIL record 12 state titles.
Overall, Coach V has won over 600 career soccer matches, 459 on the boys side – with 395 of those as the Aledo boys coach.
“I have always said that being a Bearcat is something special and to be proud of and leading the Bearcats for 25 years has been incredibly awesome,” Coach V said. “I have been so blessed and incredibly fortunate to have been able to coach at such a special place.”
Along with his six seasons at Crowley, Vierling has 31 years total – winning district 19 times. He won district his final seven seasons with the Aledo girls and won both district titles from 2007 through 2011.
Vierling left Crowley after the 2000 season and moved to Colorado – working in sales, which he hated. Despite being away from the game, he was in constant communication with local coaches Bryan Johnson (who worked with him at Aledo) and Mike King.
It was Kellye that got Coach V back to the metroplex.
“I had the urge to coach again and told Kellye that I was going to get certified to teach in Colorado and she broke down crying,” Vierling said. “She said if I’m going to be a coach’s widow, can we please move back to Fort Worth.
“I really thought it would be a one-year stint. I was going to start the 3A program playing in 4A and try to get a few wins that would parlay into a better more established job in the area. I was so determined it was going to be one year that we bought a house in Mansfield knowing that Summit HS was going to open. However, we went 19-5-1 at Aledo and made it to the third round. I had nine returning starters back too so I decided to give it one more year and see how it went and the rest is history.”
