Retired coaching legends earn Hall of Fame recognition

Retired coaches Eddy Peach of Arlington Lamar and Steve Lineweaver of Euless Trinity have achieved Hall of Fame status and were recognized for that at AT&T Stadium on Saturday before the Class 6A Division II game.

The two, who won 568 games over five decades, were among eight inductees in the Class of 2017 to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

“Outside of family and faith, I think the most important thing that can have an impact on life is education and people in education,” said Peach, who compiled a 309-124-6 record and retired after the 2009 season.

Peach and Lineweaver will enter the hall in a May ceremony at Baylor University’s Ferrell Center in Waco.

Peach, 74, was the first head football coach for Lamar when the school opened in 1970, and spent 39 years there. Arlington ISD opened Eddy and Debbie Peach Elementary School in August.

In 22 years as a head coach, Lineweaver (259-43-2) won four state titles including three at Euless Trinity (2005, 2007, 2009) and one with Commerce (1999). He retired in 2014.

“I have always been a real fan of history, so I never even thought about something like this,” said Lineweaver, 70, who spent 47 years as a coach, including assistant coaching positions at Trinity, Grapevine, and Southlake Carroll. “I was like ‘You’re kidding me!’ ”

Inductees include former NFL players Joe Greene, Lovie Smith and Dat Nguyen.

“Really, I wouldn’t have the life that I have now without the impact of my high school coaches,” said Nguyen, a former Dallas Cowboys linebacker who was an all-state player at Rockport-Fulton. “I understand how important they are and how much they influence young men and young women like I was influenced when I was growing up.

“Coaches have always been a big part in my life, and I’m always grateful and thankful for those guys.”

Hall of Fame board president Mike Anderson said both are very deserving.

“Coach Peach and Coach Lineweaver are examples of what coaches need to be in the lives that they lead,” Anderson said. “We’re excited about having them in there.”

Peach is the first coach in Texas history to win 300 games at the state’s highest level. He is seventh on Texas’ all-time wins list. Lamar won 16 district titles during his tenure, and the Vikings went 13 seasons (1988-2000) without missing the playoffs.

Lamar reached the 5A Division II championship game in 1990, losing to Aldine 27-10, and made it to the semifinals in 2000 and 2003.

Lineweaver reached the title game three other times in addition to the state titles. His teams never failed to reach the playoffs as a head coach, and only lost in the first round three times. His teams at Commerce and Trinity never had fewer than eight wins in a season and had 10 wins or more 17 times.

Lineweaver’s 65 playoff wins are second all-time in Texas.

“It’s really hard to say how much they mean because of the years of experience that they’ve had, the kids they’ve been around and influenced,” Anderson said. “For us to be able to honor them into the Texas High School Football Hall Of Fame is what we’re all about.’

This story was originally published December 17, 2016 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Retired coaching legends earn Hall of Fame recognition."