Henry Clay’s Sam Simpson retiring after 27 years

LEXINGTON, KY (KHSAA) – Sam Simpson is retiring as Henry Clay football coach after 27 years at the helm.

He led the Blue Devils to a Class 4A state runner-up finish in 1995, and with 193 victories he is the school’s all-time winningest football coach.

“I guess everybody knows when it’s time,” Simpson said. “It’s been heavy on my mind the last week or so, and when you think about something this much, it must be time.”

Henry Clay’s 0-11 record this season didn’t make his decision any easier.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a tough year because it was,” Simpson said. “There was part of me that wanted to come back and right this ship. Then part of me realized I’ve had a great experience and have a lot of wonderful memories.

“I’ve coached with a lot of great people, coached a lot of great kids, and I was proud to be at a school that was very challenging academically and very challenging athletically.”

Including 5 seasons at Marion County, Simpson had an overall record of 224-153-1 as a head coach.