John Harris has a rarity in his closet.

It’s a collection of letter jackets from three different high schools.

The new Kingfisher High School principal told Kingfisher Lions Club members last week how he came to collect them.

Harris was the guest speaker for the civic group just a few days after officially taking over for Jay Wood, who is now the superintendent at Dover.

“I’ve been on the job a grand total of two days,” he said.

However, that doesn’t mean he’s a stranger to Kingfisher.

Harris actually grew up here.

His father - Tom Harris - was the KHS head football coach from 1970-74. Tom was also the coach of the 1974 KHS boys track team that won a state title.

The elder Harris later went into business and owned Tom’s Sports Shop in Kingfisher.

The younger Harris went to school here through his sophomore year.

The family then moved to Plainview, Texas, for one year before Tom Harris took a job at Midwest City the next.

John Harris played sports for all three high schools he attended, hence his wide array of letter jackets.

“They just don’t fit like they used to,” he joked.

Harris said he’s always referred to Kingfisher as his hometown, even though he didn’t graduate from here. He called his new position his “New York Yankees job.”

He cut his administrative teeth in the Mid-Del school system and spent the last eight years as the middle school principal at Newcastle.

Harris said he wants to bring his collective experiences to Kingfisher.

“My strength is culture building,” he said. “I try to leave the culture at a place better than I found it.”

However, Harris said, he’ll need help.

“I can’t do it without the support of people like you,” he told members. “It truly takes a village. Kingfisher is a place with people strongly rooted in the community and it truly takes us all.”

Harris was introduced by Michael Swisher, who arranged for the program.