DeMarcus Harris named as Mesquite High School head football coach

DeMarcus Harris, the defensive coordinator for Cedar Hill High School and a Texas state football championship runner-up in 2020, has been named head football coach and athletic director at Mesquite High School. Harris, completing his 14th year in education as a teacher and coach, was approved for hire by the Mesquite ISD Board of Trustees today.

“Coach Harris’ energy and passion for life are infectious, and it’s hard not to want that for our student-athletes,” Mesquite ISD Athletics Director Kody Groves said. “He exactly matches the vision of what we want in a coach for Mesquite High School and our district. In addition, DeMarcus has been around successful programs and successful coaches and knows what it takes to win.”

A native Texan, Harris began his teaching and coaching career in 2007 in Dallas ISD at Hillcrest High School, where he was a special teams coordinator, strength and conditioning coach and track coach for four years. He spent two years at Little Elm High School as a U.S. history teacher, defensive coordinator and track coach before moving to Arlington ISD’s Seguin High School, where he served three years as a history teacher, co-defensive coordinator and track coach.

In 2017, he moved to Cedar Hill ISD, serving as a U.S. history teacher, assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and track coach at Cedar Hill High School. Harris was instrumental in leading the Longhorns to bi-district playoffs in 2019 and 2020, area playoffs in 2019 and 2020, regional playoffs in 2020, state quarterfinals in 2020, state semifinals in 2020 and a UIL Class 6A Division II state championship appearance in 2020.

Harris received his bachelor’s degree in education with a major in history and minor in exercise sports science from Austin College.

“It’s a great day,” said Harris, addressing the Trustees after his Board approval. “I want to make you guys proud—proud of the way our kids work and serve in the community.” Harris, soon moving to Mesquite, said he wants to “become interlocked with the community. I’m super fired up and ready to go.”