Wale Okunnu is Alief through and through.
An Alief Taylor graduate, he began his coaching career at Albright Middle School in Alief ISD in 2012. From there, he took a job on the Alief Hastings coaching staff before spending the last eight seasons as Alief Taylor’s defensive coordinator.
In all, he’s coached for 14 years in his hometown school district.
But when the opportunity arose to become Fort Bend Marshall’s head football coach, Okunnu was all ears.
“It was too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Okunnu said. “Marshall with its tradition, the type of athletes they have there, a great feeder school that has a lot of talent every year, and just the community pride, they really love their Buffaloes.”
Okunnu spent the last eight seasons as the defensive coordinator at Alief Taylor (Courtesy: Coach Okunnu/X)
There’s no overstating the tradition at Marshall, which officially announced Okunnu as its new head coach on Friday. The Buffaloes have made the playoffs in each of the past 10 seasons. They also earned back-to-back state title game appearances in 2018 and 2019.
“Professionally, you want to be at a school, be at a job where you can compete at the highest level,” Okunnu said. “It’s a proud program. The community wants a winner, and they really have high expectations. Those expectations are definitely something I embrace.”
Okunnu will be Marshall’s first new head coach since 2010. James Williams departed after 16 seasons to take over as the inaugural head coach at Tomball West High School.
It’s a dream come true for Okunnu.
“Once I got into coaching when I was 21 years old, the ultimate goal was to be a Texas high school football coach and compete at the highest level,” Okunnu said. “It’s an honor. It’s a privilege. I’m only 36 years old, so for me to get here at this age, it’s a really big-time blessing.”
Now, it’ll be time to get to work.
The Buffaloes are coming off a 6-4 campaign, their fewest wins in a season since 2015. They also lose three players from that team who are headed to Power Four programs.
However, the cupboard is far from empty.
Senior running back/receiver Hershal Miller (268 receiving yards, 278 rushing yards) was last year’s District Newcomer of the Year, while Okunnu is also high on fellow senior receiver Khannon Mitchell (200 receiving yards and two touchdowns). He also believes junior running back Ryan Proctor, who spent last year on JV, was good enough to have been a key varsity player on many other teams.
Those players, combined with JV and freshmen squads that both went 7-3, give Okunnu plenty of optimism heading into this fall.
“It’s Marshall; there’s a lot of athletes. I’m inheriting a lot of good players,” Okunnu said. “They’re going to be new to the varsity lights, so there might be a couple of growing pains at the beginning of the season, but I expect a really good season.”
Okunnu said he’ll be preaching the A.C.E. philosophy. Academic achievement, a championship mentality, and excellence in all areas of life. He’s determined to make an impact not only on the gridiron but in all aspects of his athletes’ lives and the Missouri City community.
“I’m at your service, whatever you need from me, whatever I can do from a mentorship standpoint,” Okunnu said. “We’re going to make sure that not only do we win football games, but we will produce great men in this society. So, just put [your] faith in me, put [your] trust in me, and let’s go win some ball games.”
