Duncanville High School football field renamed to honor Coach Reginald Samples

Duncanville High School football field renamed to honor Coach Reginald Samples

Photo courtesy of the African American Museum.

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(The Dallas Examiner) – After leading Duncanville High School’s football team to its first championship game and title since 1998, the Panther’s community knew they had something special in head coach Reginald Samples.

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To celebrate the coach after the long-awaited accomplishment, Duncanville ISD school board members voted in favor of renaming its football field at Panthers Stadium, in honor of head coach Samples during a ceremony on Camp Wisdom Road in Duncanville.

Duncanville Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith posted on X – formerly known as Twitter – the announcement and thanked Samples as well.

“Duncanville ISD Board of Trustees named the field at Panther Stadium in honor of legendary leader and one of the winningest coaches in UIL Texas High School Football History, Reginald Samples. Congratulations and thank you for your dedication to excellence,” Smith wrote on X.

Samples was joined by family, friends, school board members and the community to celebrate a milestone as one of Texas’ best high school coaches.

He proved himself again by winning another UIL State title this season defeating Houston’s Galena Park North Shore Mustangs, 49-33 and capturing the school’s third state title Dec. 16 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

With over 330 wins in his coaching career, Samples is the winningest Black head coach in Texas high school football history.

“He is a great coach and is great for those kids,” said Duncanville ISD school board member Janice Martin. “Because he cares and has a big heart, and we don’t want anyone stealing him away from us.”

Samples said he was thankful for the school board to recognize his dedication and work as head football coach.

“As far as the football field being named after me, it’s a great honor and always feels good when people honor you and show their appreciation for the work that you have done,” he expressed. “So I am really happy being at Duncanville having to work for the people that I work for. It really gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling.”

Samples has been with the team for more than six years as its Varsity head coach and helped revamp the team to its glory days of the late 1990s when the school won its first football championship in 1998. 

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Players such as running back Caden Durham, for the Panthers, thanked the coach for all that he has done for them.

“It is great to be able to play for him,” Durham said. “We love him.”

Samples said he loves coaching because his players are more like family to him.

“Having a relationship with these guys that are so different; they are not just players but like sons and we have that mutual respect for each other and work for a common goal,” Samples said.

Despite all the wins and accolades, Samples said he is not quite ready to retire.

“Is it the beginning of the end?” Samples reflected. “I kind of have 25 assistant head coaches that are now head coaches and none of them have beat me. It is really in my mind for one more time. The support builds all year long in what we are doing, and our community believes in these young men and coaches that I work with.”

Before his term as head coach at Duncanville, Samples was also considered a successful coach at Dallas Lincoln and Dallas Skyline High School, where he took both schools deep into the playoffs.

In 2022, Dallas ISD elected Samples to be a member of the Dallas ISD Athletic Hall of Fame.

He celebrates more than 30 years as a football coach.

The post Duncanville High School football field renamed to honor Coach Reginald Samples appeared first on Dallas Examiner.

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