Current, former football players remember legacy of coach

SOMERSET, Ky. (WTVQ) – Condolences still pouring in after an unexpected loss for the Somerset community. Somerset High School’s head football coach Robbie Lucas died Sunday after a long battle with an illness.

The Somerset High School Principal Jeff Wesley releasing a statement saying:

“Coach Robbie Lucas was totally void of self.  He never took credit for any success, and there was plenty of it.  He only shouldered the burdens for his team and those he loved and cared about.  He loved his players as sons.  He was the embodiment of selflessness and will forever be etched in the hearts and history of Somerset High School.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Lucas family and all those whom he touched with his life.”

The Somerset High School Athletic Director saying in a statement:

“Today all of Somerset Athletics mourns the passing of head football coach, Robbie Lucas.  Coach Lucas has been a part of the SHS football program for more than 20 years and served as its head coach for the last 14 seasons.  He led the Briar Jumpers to 7 regional titles, a state runner-up, and the school’s first football state championship.  The legacy Coach Lucas leaves behind and the impact he has had on the lives of the hundreds of players that had the privilege to call him coach cannot be overstated.  Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and Briar Jumpers everywhere.”

Somerset Independent Schools Superintendent Kyle Lively also releasing a statement. It reads:

“The Somerset Independent School System and the entire Somerset Community mourn the passing of Coach Robbie Lucas. He was an outstanding football coach, an excellent teacher, and an even better person. Coach Lucas always put others before himself and made countless sacrifices for the betterment of his players, coaches, and students. The positive impact Robbie made on everyone around him is immeasurable and will span for decades to come through the success of his players and students. The world lost a great football coach and a fantastic man. Coach Lucas will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Nicole, his daughters Molly, and Maddie as well as his entire family.”

Humble, selfless, integrity, gritty – just a few of the many words used to describe Coach Robbie Lucas.

“He was like a second father to most of us and maybe a first father to a lot of us,” says Brodie Williams, a current senior on the Somerset High School football.

Despite leading the Briar Jumpers to 114 wins over 14 seasons, including the 2019 state championship win, many who knew Lucas best say he never took credit and always re-directed the spotlight back to his team.

“It was never me, me, me, it was about the kids and I think that’s what made him a successful coach,” says Bart Williams, commissioner of the Somerset Youth Football League.

Bart watched 5 of his kids grow under Coach Lucas both through football and the classroom saying Lucas was cut from a different cloth and went the extra mile to be a true mentor and coach.

“He taught me that going on and being a man is then more than just football, it’s more than taking care of your kids, your family and all that. He taught us how to do interviews on jobs even,” says Brodie. “He taught us how to give care to the community and how to care for others.”

“Some coaches forget that it is, we’re working with young men and kids and that side is more important than the actual game,” says Jake Williams, a former player under Coach Lucas and current football coach at W.E.B. DuBois Academy in Louisville.

Many say Lucas fought to be there for the kids, even while his condition was worsening, sitting in his truck outside the football field during games and practices.

“He told me in conversation that he had some uphill battles but that he was going to give it everything he had and that’s exactly what would happen,” says William Lange, a former player. “I think that was exactly who Coach Lucas was.”

Monday night, football fields across Kentucky lighting up to remember Coach Lucas and the legacy he leaves behind.

“It’s more than just a game,” says Brodie about one of the lessons Lucas taught. “It’s more life.”