PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — Apparently, all good things do come to an end.
"You learn so much about yourself, the people, about the community that you're in. You never take those things for granted and those memories will be forever." Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School head coach, DaLawn Parrish said.
Parrish started the football program at Wise High School in 2006. 17 seasons, 179 victories and six state championships later, Parrish has resigned as Wise Head Football Coach. He will now take over the football program at Westlake high School.
" A lot of times coaches, we don't live in the communities that we serve. This time it's going to be different and even more special because I actual live in the Westlake community. My children go to the school. It's personal." DaLawn Parrish said.
Despite all the success he enjoyed at Wise, Coach Parrish says his family made the decision to leave for Westlake an easy one.
"At Wise High School, my schedule, I'd get up 5:30, 6:00 a.m. Leave the house around 7:00 a.m. and I wouldn't get back until around 7:35 [p.m.]. My family has sacrificed a lot for me to coach other people's children. It was wearing on me. It was wearing on my family. Obviously, I'm still going to be spending a lot of time coaching, but the school is right around the corner from my house. My children are going to be here. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited. It's like a new me. I'm young again." DaLawn Parrish said.
Coach Parrish is at a new school, but the goal remains the same and that's to win championships. The six state titles Coach Parrish has won at Wise High School, are third most all time in Maryland public football history. So, Parrish has nothing to prove, but there's still plenty he would like to accomplish.