Photo courtesy of Luke McDow

Luke McDow coaches and motives his athletes during a game.

He may have traded his helmet for a headset, but his heart has never once left the football field. 

Little Cypress Junior High coach, Luke McDow, was once a standout inside and mike linebacker at LCM High School and was known for his relentless work ethic, commitment, and contagious energy.  

Coming back to LCM and being a coach was not originally part of McDow’s plan for his future, but his mother saw something in him before he did and was always telling him that he could make a great coach. When an opening appeared at LCJH, she pushed him to take it.  

“My loved ones and the people close to me wanted me to pursue coaching, so I decided to take the job,” McDow said. “Coming back to LCM felt like coming back home. It was a sort of nostalgia.” 

His passion for coaching did not spark instantly—it grew with time. Being able to see their joy, especially on the day they got their jerseys, reminded him of how special football is. When he started to realize his influence through coaching, the job stopped feeling like a job. 

“In high school, my favorite part of the year was the day the team got our jerseys,” McDow said. “I loved it more than Christmas Day because it led to the best part of the year… football season. Being able to experience that again, but through the role as coach, is really something special.” 

Transitioning from player to coach comes with big changes. The biggest difference between being a player and a coach is that there is only so much a player can do. The role is limited, and they mainly have to focus on themselves and their own job. Coaches have to worry about the entire team and every individual. Every decision they make matters and effects the whole team. 

“It feels a little weird being in the coach role instead of the players, but it also feels good to be coaching,” McDow said. “I am a part of influencing the younger generation.” 

As an athlete, McDow learned many lessons, whether it be for the field or for life off of it. The lessons that he tries to pass down are to focus on what you can control, worry about your own job instead of others, do what is expected of you, and nothing in life is easy so work hard to improve every day. 

“I know what it is like to be the player and to have an opinion,” McDow said. “Because of that I am always treating my athletes with respect.” 

Much of McDow’s style comes from the mentors who shaped him. His former linebacker coach Joe Peevey has immensely influenced the way he coaches. Peevey never yelled at his athletes; he never had to. He had the players’ respect every time he walked in the room. 

“Honestly, Luke taught me more than I ever taught him,” Peevey said. “Luke’s athletic abilities and his football IQ and instincts made my job of coaching him easy.” 

Joe Peevey always knew McDow would go on to do important things in his life. Teaching, he said, was in McDow’s blood. The same qualities he had as a player—his work ethic, drive, and determination—show clearly in his coaching style. 

“I am so proud of the man Luke has become,” Peevey said. “His faith and his leadership qualities will help mold the next generation of men, husbands, and fathers. I believe Luke will be a far better leader and coach than I ever will be.”  

Alumni like McDow help to strengthen culture in the LCM football program. He is an asset to the program and makes the coaching and teaching staff better in every aspect. For LCJH Head Coach Adam Strandberg, having McDow on staff does not just add experience; it adds history. McDow understands what it means to play at LCM. 

“Coach McDow was part of the team that went four rounds deep,” Strandberg said. “He has been a player that was moved for the betterment of the team. He understands where this program has been and where it could go. He understands that things do not come easy for LCM kids. We are always outnumbered, always undersized, and always has what it takes to show up and play through injury and sickness because your team needs you.” 

The legacy McDow would like to pass on is simple: shaping young boys into young men, through class, character and commitment. 

“I want to give everything I have for the program that shaped me,” McDow said. “I hope that, through my coaching, the next generation finds the same love for the game.”