Kedric Couch

Was born March 23, 1931 to Vera and John Couch and he passed away February 15, 2018. Kedric grew up in Georgia during the depression era. At the age of ten, he was a newspaper carrier and worked part-time on a dairy farm. As a young teenage boy, his athletic abilities were remarkable. Kedric was a very talented athlete being able to play basketball, football and baseball. When he went to high school he played the first three years but his upcoming senior year, he was told he would be ineligible because he had played three years prior. During his senior year he moved to Dadville, Alabama so he would be eligible to participate in high school sports. Moving to Dadville, Kedric had to live on his own, while going to school in the day, he worked driving a school bus. He also worked at a gas station to pay for room and board. Kedric graduated from high school and continued his journey to college. He attended Auburn University and University of Wyoming. During college he played a short time in the minor league for the Cleveland Indians. He later graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Education and later receiving his Master's Degree from East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas. Kedric met and married the love of his life, Patricia and they raised four children as he became the distinguished Coach Kedric Couch. He began his coaching career at Sunset High School as the assistant coach in 1955. Kedric continued to expand his coaching career with Crozier Tech High School, winning five championships as head coach between 1960 thru 1974. He then coached at Sarah Zumwalt Middle School, Atwell Junior High School and then Carter High School. During his coaching career he started buying rental homes and commercial properties. Kedric was very successful in real estate. He became the Assistant Athletic Director for DISD in 1975- 1977 and then became the Athletic Director in 1978. Coach Kedric Couch received many accolades during his coaching tenure including, Coach of the year in Dallas for 1971 and 1974, National High School Coach in 1972 - 1973, Service Key Award , Phi Delta Kappa in 1973, Hall of Honor in 1978 at Austin College along with distinguished alumni in 2006, All American Football Foundation recipient in 2003 and Inducted into the Texas Hall of Honor in 1998 to just name a few. In 2006, Coach Couch was inducted into the African-American Hall of Fame as the first Anglo-American recognized. Also in 2006, Loos Sports Complex named the football stadium "Kedric Couch Football Field." Kedric Couch has been an active inspirational person that has touched the lives of hundreds of people. Growing up less fortunate than others made Kedric a caring person; who continued to work to help improve the lives of everyone he came in contact with. He was a role model for our future generations. Kedric had a Native American Indian heritage that inspired him to work hard and succeed. His dream was to help everyone he met and Kedric accomplished his dream. Countless people have been touched by Coach Couch and their lives changed for the better because of his love and devotion to humanity. Coach Kedric Couch was dedicated to his students and his community for over 33 years of service to DISD as a coach and athletic director but most of all he started the Carter legacy "The Carter Cowboys." He was an author of two books, "Winning High School Football- How It's Done in Texas" and Winning High School Football While Becoming Financially Secure." Kedric is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Patricia Couch; his children, Tawana Couch, Juanita Couch- Darwin and her husband, Tony Darwin, Christy Riley-Mann and her husband, Johnny Mann and Joe Betzel and his wife, Gail Betzel; five grandchildren, seven great grandchildren ; and a host of relatives, students and friends. Please make donations in memory of Kedric Couch to Society for Companion Animals, www.societyforcompanionanimals.org; Fellowship of Christian Athletes , www.fca.org; African American Museum of Dallas Fair Park, aamdallas.org and Austin College - Kedric Couch Scholarship fund, www.austincollege.edu.