Faize Mahfouz

Sport: Coach

Induction Year: 1981

University: Northwestern State

Induction Year: 1981

A man who never won a state championship was the first high school coach inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Faize Mahfouz, a 1939 graduate of Bolton (Alexandria) High School, played quarterback on Louisiana Normal teams coached by Harry “Rags” Turpin.

Mahfouz lauched a 35-year prep coaching career at St. Mary’s (Natchitoches) High following his graduation from Normal.

He spent 22 of those 35 years at Eunice High, moving to Eunice after four years at St. Mary’s. He compiled an overall record of 127 victories, 80 losses and four ties at Eunice.

His biggest rival in those 22 years was Opelousas High, coached by Payne Mahfouz—his brother.

Every year, their mother sent both coaches a letter the week before the game which always ended with, “I hope you win, but love each other.”

After directing Eunice to 20 winning seasons in 22 years, Mahfouz gave college coaching a try. For one year, he was an assistant to Stan Galloway at Southeastern Louisiana. But it just wasn’t the same.

“College just didn’t appeal to me like high school did, Mahfouz recalled. “I liked it at Southeastern. I like Coach Galloway, and they had a good coaching staff. But I had an opportunity to go back to high school coaching, and I thought I’d better take it.”

It was more of a challenge than an opportunity. Mahfouz took over a New Iberia team that was on a 29-game losing streak, and had lost 37 of its last 39 games.

“I had to build the program there through the five junior highs in the area,” he said. “I put a coach in each school, and they started developing players who fit into my system.”

Three years later, that system produced a 6-4 record, including a victory over state runner-up Sulphur. Mahfouz was selected “Coach of the Year” by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.”

He spent the last seven years of his coaching career at New Iberia. Then he worked teachers, parents “and the rest of us old jugheads.”

Although he was confined to a wheelchair, he stayed close to young people. Kids haven’t changed, he said. It is the world in which they are forced to grow up that has dramatically changed.

“Look at the opportunities for the poor kid today,” he said. “Before he gets to junior high, he’s been exposed to alcohol and dope and all kinds of things. Kids today have so many things to take them away from sports and their schoolwork.

“Life was so much simpler in my day. It was just a much easier time for kids to grow up. Way back then, kids didn’t have anything to do but play games. The biggest thing a kid had to do other than sports was work on his dad’s farm. That’s hardly a temptation compared to what they have to distract them today.

“That’s why I think people need to give toady’s kids all the understanding they possibly can. It’s much more of a challenge away from the field for coaches, too, these days. They have so much more competing for their attention. Things were easier in my day. We had it made.”

Known as an offensive innovator. Mahfouz introduced the Wing-T and Split-T to high school football. He spoke at coaching clinics throughout the nation. Jack Doland, who was head football coach at McNeese State and later served as the school’s president, said, “His won-loss record is not fantastic, but his contribution to high school athletics is truly phenomenal. H is the single best known high school coach in Louisiana, and possibly in the nation.”

Mahfouz was a tireless worker for the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, and served as president of the Louisiana High School Coaches’ Association.

“This award needs to be divided into a zillion pieces so they can give one to each of the kids,” he said when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. “Along with the boys you should give one to each of the other coaches I worked with, and the principals each deserve a piece, too.

“And then there’s my wife, Helen. She ought to get the biggest piece for putting up with me for 42 yeas.”