For the second time in two seasons, Cedar Hill (TX) will have another person calling plays for the remainder of the year as head coach Nick Ward was placed on administrative leave.
Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell's Texas Sports first reported the news on X, citing a district email. Defensive coordinator Brice Musgrove will serve as the program's interim head coach.
Cedar Hill has had its struggles this season, going 1-5 with its lone win coming on Sept. 18 at Midlothian (TX) by 10. In their losses, the Longhorns have been beaten by an average of 21 points and outscored 88-193.
Ward was hired in 2023 and led the Longhorns to an 8-6 record during his first year with the program. They went 3-7 in 2024 and were 6-5 last season.
However, Ward did not coach the entirety of the 2025 season as he was also placed on administrative leave during that season. A report from GM Sports Media noted that he returned to his full-time duties at the school in January.
Along with now not having their head coach for the year, Cedar Hill also lost its top player, and one of the best players in the country, earlier in the year. Texas Tech five-star defensive line commit Jalen Brewster transferred from Cedar Hill to Buford in August.
Cedar Hill's first game without Ward on the sideline will be Thursday night as the team travels to Mansfield Legacy (TX). The rest of their schedule includes a home game against DeSoto (TX) on Oct. 23, a road trip to Cleburne (TX) on Oct. 30 and they close out the regular season at home against Centennial (TX) on Nov. 6.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas high school football coach placed on leave for second straight season