Allen (Texas) has a new head football coach as Lee Wiginton comes to lead the program after six seasons at Midlothian Heritage.
And Wiginton's first game with the Eagles is a battle royal as they host
St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) in a Texas-California showdown.
"I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to join the Allen ISD community and lead the Allen Eagles football program," said Wiginton, who also is president of the Texas High School Coaches Association. "You can go just about anywhere in the nation and people will recognize the Allen Eagles name and the existing culture of excellence in academics and extracurriculars."
Wiginton replaces Chad Morris, who was 11-3 in his lone season before deciding to return to the college level. He becomes the third Allen coach since 2016 after Morris replaced Terry Gambill, who was 65-4 in four seasons and led the Eagles to their last state title in 2017.
Lee Wiginton has been named the new Allen football coach.
Photo by Kenneth Murphy
The Eagles return loads of talent heading into the fall headlined by four-star defensive end
Zina Umeozulu and four-star quarterback
Mike Hawkins.
Allen has been one of the best programs in Texas and it has produced some top-end talent with eight players drafted in the NFL since 2012, including Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray.
The Eagles have won five state championships in school history (2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017) and have finished ranked in the MaxPreps Top 25 six times since 2012.
"Throughout Texas, Coach Wiginton is known as a respected leader among his peers who coaches his teams with class and integrity," said Kim Garner, Allen ISD Director of Athletics. "Coach Wiginton checked all the right boxes for Allen during the interview process: producing a solid plan of instilling a winning culture in every facet of the program, leading with innovation while also honoring Allen's incredible traditions, and focusing on the importance of uniting our community by providing communication between players, coaches, parents, and stakeholders."
An Angelo State alumni, Wiginton was the 2020 recipient of the Coaching Beyond the Game Award from the Texas High School Coaches Association.
