Henry Clay’s most successful football coach retires
After 27 years and 193 wins, Sam Simpson has announced his retirement as head football coach at Henry Clay High School.
“I guess everybody knows when it’s time,” Simpson told former Herald-Leader high school sports writer Mike Fields, who now writes for the Kentucky High School Athletics Association. “It’s been heavy on my mind the last week or so, and when you think about something this much, it must be time.”
The Blue Devils went 0-11 this past fall. Simpson had a 6-6 record and a first-round playoff win in each of the previous two seasons. The 2018 season included a stunning 51-27 upset win over eventual Class 6A finalist Scott County.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a tough year because it was,” Simpson said. “There was part of me that wanted to come back and right this ship. Then part of me realized I’ve had a great experience and have a lot of wonderful memories.”
Early in his tenure, Simpson led the Blue Devils to a runner-up finish in Class 4A in 1995. He led them to back-to-back 12-2 seasons and Class 4A state semifinals appearances in 2005 and 2006
With his wins from a stint as Marion County’s head coach, Simpson has an overall record of 224-153-1 which would rank him 29th on the KHSAA’s all-time wins list once those seasons are certified by the respective schools. That mark ranks him just ahead of Tates Creek’s Roy Walton.
Also during his tenure, Simpson got to coach his three sons, two of whom, Salin and Samuel, have been on his staff. Salin Simpson was his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Samuel Simpson coached special teams and the offensive line.
“I’ve coached with a lot of great people, coached a lot of great kids, and I was proud to be at a school that was very challenging academically and very challenging athletically,” Simpson said.
Simpson played his high school ball at Scott County before a college career that included Kentucky and Georgetown College.
News of his retirement began circulating on social media Tuesday morning.
“The HC Family would like to thank Coach Sam Simpson for 27 great years,” a post from the Henry Clay football Instagram account read. “Your hard work and dedication will never be forgotten. You impacted so many both on and off the field. You will always be our Coach. Enjoy retirement.”
