Allen, 5-time UIL football state champion, will have new head coach for 2021 season
Terry Gambill, who led the Allen Eagles to a Class 6A Division 1 state championship and three state semifinal appearances, announced his retirement on Tuesday.
Gambill was also an assistant with Allen from 2001-09 and helped the Eagles win their first state title in 2008 as the defensive coordinator. Allen went 15-1 that year and beat Fort Bend Hightower 21-14 in the final.
Allen went 65-4 during Gambill’s five seasons as head coach (2016-20). The Eagles went 10-1 in 2020 and lost in the third round of the 6A D1 playoffs, 49-45 to Euless Trinity.
The Eagles won the 2017 state title, 35-33 against Austin Lake Travis, completing a 16-0 season.
Before his second stint with Allen, Gambill spent time at Waco Midway (2010-15) where he led the Panthers to a 68-13 record and a Class 4A Division 1 state runner-up finish in 2011.
Allen will be a premier destination as the Eagles hold the largest enrollment in the state with over 6,600 students and one of the best high school football stadiums in the country, worth $60 million.
The program showcases some of the top players in the nation, which included quarterback Kyler Murray, a No. 1 overall draft pick and Heisman trophy winner.
Murray won three straight state titles and went undefeated as the Eagles’ starting quarterback.
Allen has reached the third round of the playoffs in nine straight seasons and is always among the top teams in the Class 6A state rankings.
This story was originally published March 16, 2021 at 6:43 PM.
