Cedar Hill logo.
Some members of the Dallas-Fort Worth football community are voicing support for Cedar Hill head coach Nick Ward after Cedar Hill ISD placed him on administrative leave Thursday.
Cedar Hill ISD declined to explain the sudden midseason change, saying federal privacy laws prevent the district from divulging specifics on personnel matters. An investigation is pending.
“Man this doesn’t even seem real! Nor is it right,” Cedar Hill offensive coordinator Chason Virgil wrote on X on Friday.
Virgil is sharing interim head coaching duties with coach Brice Musgrove, according to a letter to Longhorn parents Cedar Hill sent to the Star-Telegram.
“[Nick Ward] brought me over to help him do a job and I feel like I failed him,” Virgil wrote. “He gave me an opportunity that could’ve been given to anyone else. I really appreciate it OG. We must be better!”
South Oak Cliff coaches were also vocal in his defense, with SOC defensive coordinator Domenic D. Spencer calling Cedar Hill ISD’s move “terrible once again” with a “free Nick Ward” hashtag on X. SOC offensive line coach Zach Collins called Ward a “real one.”
“It’ll work out for him,” Collins wrote on X. “It starts at the top. One can only place so much blame, before looking in the mirror.”
University of Central Florida defensive quality control coach Damion Daniels, a former assistant under Ward, took to X to voice his support.
“Man I Preciate [Nick Ward] for giving me the opportunity to begin my Coaching transition under him,” Daniels wrote. “I really Pray Cedar Hill get they stuff together for the sake of the Kids!!”
It’s the second time Ward has been placed on leave in a year. Last season, he was investigated for having ineligible coaches involved in the Longhorn program. He returned to his position in January. Ward was hired ahead of the 2023 season and led the Longhorns to a regional final that year.
The Longhorns have a 2-5 overall record after defeating Mansfield Legacy 39-23 on Thursday without Ward on the sidelines. They are 2-2 in District 8-5A Division I with a tough matchup against DeSoto up next.
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Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Charles Baggarly is a high school sports editor and reporter for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. He graduated from TCU in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and served as TCU 360’s sports editor. Connect with Charles on Twitter or via email.