The Father-Son Duos Who Forever Changed TXHSFB
Phil and Wes Danaher, Todd and Riley Dodge, Sam and Graham Harrell, and Gary and Jeff Joseph are the four most influential father-son duos in TXHSFB history.
The Dodge family probably has some qualms with what I’m about to say. But I’d argue that, in a vacuum, Sam and Graham Harrell are the best father-son quarterback-coach duo to ever win a state championship.
Sam Harrell was a standout quarterback for the legendary Gordon Wood at Brownwood, and also served as an assistant on Wood’s staff for eight years after college. As a head coach, he never quite reached Wood’s 393 wins or nine state championships, but he’s arguably just as transformative to the sport. In 1999, Harrell’s Ennis teams became one of the first in TXHSFB history to wear wristbands with the play written on them. Where 99.9 percent of teams huddled, Ennis lined up in a formation and looked to the sideline for the call.
Harrell led the Lions to a state title in 2000, 2001, and 2004. Picking your favorite state champion team is like choosing between your children, but it sure makes it easier when your child was the starting quarterback on the 2001 team. While Graham won the title as a sophomore, his senior year was the best of his career – and the best in state history up to that point. He set single-season records in 2003 with 334 completions for 4,825 yards and 67 touchdowns. At the time of his graduation, Graham was the all-time record holder with 12,532 passing yards and 167 passing touchdowns.
There are actually two different father-son combinations I could’ve put on this list from the Joseph family. I could’ve gone with Eddie Joseph and his son, Gary. In over two decades of service, Eddie built the Texas High School Coaches Organization into the largest organization of its kind in the nation, notably as executive vice president from 1992 to 2003. Gary has become one of the most successful Texas high school football coaches of all time, with a 286-31 record over 22 years at Katy High School. But I’m choosing Gary and Jeff Joseph for this list because they were the first active father-son head coaching duo to win a state championship. In 26 combined years of head coaching experience, a Joseph team has never won fewer than 10 games in a season.
Gary’s story at Katy begins in 1982, when he arrived as a defensive coordinator on the legendary Mike Johnston’s inaugural staff. Today, Katy is a booming Houston suburb with nine high schools, and the Tigers are a TXHSFB blue blood. But, at the time, Katy’s sole high school didn’t even have a weight room. In Gary’s first four seasons, the Tigers only won eight total games. But, soon, the coaching staff’s culture – and Gary’s famed 3-4 ‘Weak Eagle’ defense – took root. Katy’s last losing season was in 1990. With Johnston as head coach and Gary as defensive coordinator, Katy won five state championships, including in 2000 when Jeff was a captain. After Johnston’s retirement, Gary became the head coach and took the Tigers to another level. In 22 seasons, Katy has won 20 district championships and reached nine state championship games.
Jeff was an integral part in turning Katy into the dynasty everyone knows today as a state championship-winning team captain and former assistant coach. But he’s revitalized another blue blood program of his own at Port Neches-Groves. In four seasons, Jeff has compiled a 53-7 record. In 2023, the Indians won their first state championship since 1975. Jeff might not have his father’s longevity yet, but his early head coaching career has been so impactful because it restored one of the state’s proudest programs. In the 1970s and 1990s, the PNG faithful set numerous attendance records for high school games in Texas Stadium and the Astrodome. Now, their next generation of the purple swarm is doing the same at AT&T Stadium.
Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)
Ray and Marty Akins
Curtis and Darrell Barbay
Sonny Detmer and sons Ty and Koy
Dale and Whitney Keeling
Brad McCoy and his sons, Colt and Case
Chad and Chandler Morris
Wendell Robinson and his sons, Bo and Ty
Bob Shipley and his sons, Jordan and Jaxon
Joe Washington Sr. and Joe Washington Jr.
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