WACO, Texas —
(Press Release) - Waco High School Principal Ed Love announced today that Kwame Cavil will be the school’s next head football coach. A 1997 graduate of Waco High School, Cavil was most recently an assistant coach at Lyndon Baines Johnson Early College High School in Austin.
“Kwame is a student of the game,” Love said. “As both a player and a coach, Kwame has shown that he knows how to produce results. He has a track record of bringing out the very best in student athletes – not just as competitors on the field but also as leaders in their community.”
A standout wide receiver at Waco High School, Cavil went on to play college football for the University of Texas at Austin. During the 1999 season, he had 100 receptions setting a school record at the time.
“He is a man of the highest moral character,” former Longhorn head coach Mack Brown wrote in a letter. “How Kwame has handled his own personal trials and tribulations as a young man and as an adult would inspire any student-athlete on their path to success. I have the highest regards for him as a man and offer my highest recommendation.”
After a season with the Buffalo Bills, Cavil played in the Canadian Football League from 2002 through 2006. He was a CFL East All-Star in 2004 and helped lead the Edmonton Eskimos to a CFL championship in 2005. Cavil is an active member of the National Football League Alumni Association.
Before becoming the assistant coach at Austin LBJ, Cavil was the wide receiver coach and lead play signaler for Temple High School. He was part of the coaching staff for the Wildcats’ appearance in the 2016 UIL 6A Division 1 Championship Game. At Manor High School, Cavil coached the Mustangs’ wide receivers, defensive backs and special teams. He helped lead Manor to the 2012 Conference 4A Division 2 Semifinals.
In addition to his work with the football programs, Cavil was an assistant track coach in Temple and the head track coach in Manor. With his assistance, each year, more than a dozen of Cavil’s student athletes have secured scholarships from NCAA Division I programs.
“As a graduate of Waco High School, it’s great to be home,” Cavil said. “I love this school. I love this community, and my wife and I are looking forward to raising our family here. The football program at Waco High School has a legacy that is second to none, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to write the next chapter of that tradition. I am all in for our student athletes, and I won’t rest until they have the program that they deserve.”
Love, athletic director Johnny Tusa, and assistant superintendent Israel Carrera served on the hiring committee that recommended Cavil for the position.
“This position received significant interest from across the state,” superintendent Marcus Nelson said. “I want to thank Ed, Johnny and Israel for their work reviewing applications and interviewing finalists. They have been committed to selecting the best fit for Waco High, and I’m confident that Kwame will prepare our student athletes the way that they deserve to be prepared.”
The Lions are moving up to UIL Class 6A for the 2018-2019 season.
The team’s first game will be a non-conference showdown against University High School on Aug. 31 at Waco ISD Stadium. The game is part of the Derrick Johnson Hall of Fame Kickoff Classic named for the current Oakland Raider and 2001 Waco High School graduate.