After a coaching search that lasted nearly three months, Lancaster ISD appears to finally have their next head football coach.

Multiple sources confirm that Lancaster will name Duncanville passing game coordinator and head boys track coach Leon Paul as its next head football coach. He’ll replace Chris Gilbert, who left in early February for a position on staff at the University of Texas.

Paul was the dark-horse candidate as names started to emerge in the past few weeks. Despite being very young (only age 36) and lacking the resume some of the other candidates had, Paul’s advantages include being on the I-20 corridor and working at one of the state’s most successful programs.

Additionally, his ties to the track no question worked in his favor as Lancaster is one of the state’s most successful track and field programs with AD Beverly Humphrey being one of the greatest girls track and field coaches in state history.

Paul has ties to a pair of extensive coaching trees in Texas, most recently with Reginald Samples and the now growing Duncanville tree; Paul becomes the second Duncanville assistant coach to get a head coaching job this offseason and the sixth Duncanville assistant to be named a head coach since 2018, joining Herman Johnson at Dallas Skyline, John Towels at Clear Brook, Marcus Graham at Beaumont United, Quincy Stewart at San Antonio Sam Houston and Eric Mims at Amarillo Palo Duro.

The new Lancaster head coach has ties to another large coaching tree as he had two separate stints working at Kennedale under long time head coach Richard Barrett. Coach Barrett’s tree includes Idalou head coach Jeff Lofton, Weatherford head coach Aubrey Sims, Gainesville head coach James Polk, Cleburne head coach Casey Walraven and Godley head coach Curtis Lowery.