GAMES
RANKINGS
Willie Gaston of North Shore
THE ARCHITECTS: History being made as minorities lead all Class 6A state final super-programs
As Texas High School football takes center stage this weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, history is being made.
All four head coaches in the Class 6A title games are Black… Duncanville’s Reginald Samples, North Shore’s Willie Gaston, DeSoto’s Claude Mathis and Summer Creek’s Kenny Harrison.
Last season, Claude Mathis was the first Black head coach to win a state title at the highest classification of Texas High School football. A few hours later, Samples became the second as the Panthers knocked off North Shore.
Willie Gaston, who played QB for North Shore over 20 years ago before starring for the University of Houston, was elevated from his offensive coordinator position last spring after coach Jon Kay took a college position at Rice University. The first-year head coach has carried on the success of his predecessors as the Mustangs are in their fifth Class 6A DI state title game in six years. He will face Duncanville and coach Reginald Samples, the winningest black head coach in Texas high school football history with over 340 wins.
“It’s a special moment,” Gaston said. “There is a lot of people pumped up for this. There was a stereotype that minority guys couldn’t coach over the years. This weekend just shows you the growth of minority coaches and how good we have become.”
This week, the Houston TD Club awarded Gaston and Summer Creek coach Kenny Harrison as their 2023 co-Coaches of the Year. It is only the third time in the club’s history to have awarded co-coaches. Gaston and Harrison have led their teams to the top of the Texas high school football mountain this weekend… the coveted state game.
No team in the 105-year history of Humble ISD has ever reached a state final… until now. Harrison and his Summer Creek Bulldogs face DeSoto in the Class 6A DII championship. The history is not lost on Harrison, who grew up playing for Port Arthur Jefferson and SMU.
“It means a lot that all four of us have this opportunity,” he said. “We’re all quality coaches who have built tremendous programs. I’ve followed them for a long time and their successes. I’m excited to be a part of this for black coaches but even, more importantly, excited about the opportunity to win a state championship.”
Mathis, who was a star RB at Texas State, smashed through the ceiling last season, beating Austin Vandegrift 42-17 to win the Class 6A DII title in 2022. He’s back…
“This is just wonderful… this is history,” he said. “The only bad thing is that someone has to lose. We have come a long way in this profession of coaching and I’m so happy to be a part of it.”
While all four are playing to win and fit for championship rings, history is at hand as these four are breaking Texas-sized barriers.
With Gambill Out, Who and What Is Next at Allen?
Yesterday's shocking news, broken by the Morning News' Greg Riddle, that Allen's head coach Terry Gambill announced his retirement will certainly reverberate throughout Texas High School Football, if not on a national scale.
BREAKING: Allen football coach Terry Gambill announces his retirement.
In five years as the school's head coach, Gambill compiled a record of 65-4 and led Allen to a 16-0 record and 6A Division I state title in 2017.
Read: https://t.co/qbXUoTqHPu#txhsfb @SportsDayHS @dctf pic.twitter.com/Kcr7NMxPDv
— Greg Riddle (@DMNGregRiddle) March 16, 2021
Allen football is one of the premier high school football coaching spots, and it's destined to be filled rather quickly. As DCTF's Matt Stepp tweeted below, it seems Allen is ready to pounce - though immediately refuted by the Allen ISD's Twitter account.
We know you're right on a lot of rumors, but not on this one. Completely false. There is no “list" and we look forward to seeing who is interested in the job.
— Allen ISD (@Allen_ISD) March 16, 2021
When Allen's job opened five years ago, it was filled within two weeks by Gambill, who came from Waco Midway after a six-year stint. At Allen, Gambill amassed a 65-4 record and never lost more than one game in a season, taking home the 2017 state title with a 16-0 record.
Before we get into theories, let's talk a bit more about the Allen gig.
There's immense pressure at Allen. It's a one-school district that has the largest public student body in the state that strongly emphasizes its extracurricular activities. From the multi-million dollar football-only stadium to the nearly thousand-member marching band, Allen expects participation and excellence.
To add to that, Allen football doesn't operate like any other public school in Texas. There's an abundance of background chatter from those more in the know with regards to Allen's tactics in getting top talent year-in and year-out. Kyler Murray is one instance, another is General Booty moving from California before the beginning of last season. Essentially, there is recruiting going on and it's basically an open secret at this point. So the next coach at Allen has to have some chops to get that talent, cultivate that talent, and win. Winning is obviously most important, and that will be priority No. 1 for the next coach.
After IMG Academy in Florida, Mater Dei in California, and other independent private schools, Allen is right near the top of the best opportunities in the nation. So, let's theorize what will unfold with the Allen head coaching job.
Hire From Within
Though Allen didn't do it last time, it's very possible could look from within. Right off the top, Allen has two very capable coordinators that have been with the program for a number of years. Derek Alford has been Gambill's offensive coordinator since their days at Midway. Alford's offenses have always been dynamic and finds a way to put players in a position to excel.
Cory Cain has been the team's defensive coordinator for a couple regimes at Allen now and could be an interesting promotion. The team's defense has been up and down through the years in comparison to the offense, but it has certainly held strong for the most part and won Allen some games.
Keep it in the Family
During Gambill's tenure, two of his sons played in the program. One of them, Cody Gambill, became the special teams coordinator and could possibly be the successor. Surely, the younger Gambill learned a thing or two from his father as well has some ideas of his own on how to run a program. The only hiccup here is being a bit unproven, and with this position, there might not be any leniency in allowing someone to learn on the job.
Shop Local
Without question there are a number of quality coaches and potential candidates right in Allen's own back yard. Even within its own district, there are a number of coaches that could step in and keep the train on the tracks. Right off the top, Marcus Shavers at McKinney, Rodney Webb at Denton Guyer or Cody Moore at Denton Braswell are some names that could be in the mix.
That's certainly not to say they will or have. We're just spit-balling here. Jesse Perales is another potential coach from Garland Naaman Forest after a great year last season and previous success at Del Valle. Jon Kitna by way of Burleson and Waxahachie? The possibilities from the area are endless.
Statewide, Nationwide
Texas football is just different. Within that spectrum, Allen sits near the top as one of the most desirable jobs. While DFW coaches are probably dusting off resumes, there have to be 10 times as many Texas coaches, and 100 times as many national coaches showing interest. Would Todd Rodgers leave Argyle since Argyle is somewhat regarded as the 4A Allen? What about Scott Surrat at Carthage?
Essentially, Allen will have the pick of the litter. It went within the state last time out, and it could easily do it again.
Bigger than Big
The final idea is that Allen could go the Argyle Liberty Christian or Fort Worth Country Day route and hire someone with NFL or college experience. It would certainly continue that trend and definitely raise some eyebrows. The idea being that Allen would be a resume builder for something bigger and better down the road. That's the consensus with Jason Witten at Liberty Christian as he'll probably want to get to the college or professional coaching ranks.
Bringing a big name like that would also certainly help with attracting that blue-chip talent into Allen. Allen is a factory of talent, whether internal or through transfers. So if nothing materializes with current high school coaches, maybe there's a name out there that warrants making a "splash" hire.
Either way, Allen will continue to be Allen. It has established a precedent of winning, excellence and championship. Certainly, the School District knows how important the next hire will be to continue that tradition.