BISD confirms next United head football coach

El Paso Burges football coach Marcus Graham El Paso Burges football coach Marcus Graham Photo: Courtesy Of Marcus Graham / Courtesy Of Marcus Graham/Beaumont Enterprise Photo: Courtesy Of Marcus Graham / Courtesy Of Marcus Graham/Beaumont Enterprise Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close BISD confirms next United head football coach 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Beaumont ISD confirmed to The Enterprise that former Duncanville assistant coach Marcus Graham has been hired to fill Beaumont United’s head football coach and campus coordinator position.

BISD athletic director Ron Jackson said a committee decided on Graham Thursday of last week. Graham, who was one of three finalists, was officially offered the position on Feb. 24, according to Jackson.

“He’s ready to go above and beyond,” Jackson said. “(Graham’s) background showed his ability to work with a diverse student body — one that is similar to Beaumont United.”

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Graham met the committee's criteria of an applicant who would work with all the student athletes and prioritize their ability to succeed in higher education.

Graham told The Enterprise on Wednesday that he had accepted the position as soon as it was offered to him.

“It’s a dream come true — being from Beaumont,” Graham said. “When you get a chance to go back home and be a positive influence on kids, to coach kids where you grew up and to coach guys who have been where you’ve been, it’s always exciting.”

“There’s been other jobs that have been posted, but this one is special. It’s home,” Graham said. “You can go to the job and not have the same passion as you would if you went back home.”

Graham, who graduated from Central High School in Beaumont, joined the Duncanville staff in 2019. He and the Panthers reached the 6A-I state final, where they lost to North Shore.

Before joining Duncanville, he was the head coach of Socorro High School (2016-2018) and William H. Burges High School (2010-2015) in El Paso. In his nine seasons as a head coach, Graham has a 33-64 overall record.

At Burges, Graham made three playoff appearances and helped the Mustangs reach the regional round in 2012 before falling to the Wichita Falls Riders, 64-35.

In his three seasons in charge of Socorro, Graham’s Bulldogs did not record a win.

Graham replaces Arthur Louis, who announced his retirement on Jan. 8, after serving as head coach for United’s first two seasons. Louis came out of retirement to coach the newly formed United football programs. In two seasons, United missed the playoffs. The team started the 2019 season with a five-game winning streak.

“I am excited about the team and the future is bright,” Graham said. “It’s an extremely young team. You have a foundation that you can grow from and you can mold them. I got a chance to talk to some people about it and they said, ‘You got a lot of talent coming through the pipeline.’”

After two seasons in 21-6A, United will play next season in 9-5A-I with Port Arthur Memorial, La Porte, Galveston Ball, Friendswood, Baytown Sterling, Baytown Lee and Goose Creek Memorial.

Graham said he is excited about the new district.

“Dropping down to 5A has leveled the playing field out a little bit. It’s another reason why I am excited about the opportunity,” Graham said. “Anytime you can play your neighborhood rival schools, it’s awesome. Back when I was playing, it was Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson, and those were always exciting games.”

Graham graduated from the University of Texas-El Paso, where he earned a degree in kinesiology. He also has a master’s in education from the University of Phoenix.

Graham said he will evaluate the current coaching staff at United.

“I am always going to do what’s best for the kids and the team,” Graham said. “Everybody is going to have an opportunity. I am going to keep it open and it’s not personal, it’s business. We’re going to be in the business of winning.”

According to a Beaumont ISD press release, a press conference announcing Graham is scheduled for March 2 at 1:30 p.m., BISD Memorial Stadium.

jorge.ramos@beaumontenterprise.com