RUSSELL TAKES BREAK | Sabine AD, head football coach Russell takes temporary leave of absence, SISD announces
Sabine High School head football coach and athletic director Tim Russell has taken a leave of absence, effective immediately, ETBlitz.com has learned.
Russell, in his first year in his roles with the Cardinals, was the longtime coach at Harmony, and is a cancer survivor.
The announcement comes, ironically and unfortunately, on the evening before the Cardinals football team is set to host rival Gladewater, in a Thursday night game, a 7 p.m. kickoff tomorrow.
ETBlitz.com will report the SISD coaching decision when we know, which might very well not be prior to the game against the Bears.
“Due to an immediate and unforeseen health concern, Coach Russell will be stepping back temporarily from his dual-position of Athletic Director & Head Football Coach,” the Sabine ISD announcement stated.
Continuing:
“Our focus is supporting Coach Russell and his family during this time, and we ask the entire Sabine community to join us in keeping them in your thoughts & prayers.
“To ensure continuity for our students and athletic programs, the district will name interim leadership for the athletic department and football team in the coming days. Sabine ISD remains fully committed to supporting our coaches and student-athletes through the remainder of the season.
“We do ask that the privacy of Coach Russell and his family be respected as he focuses on his health.”
In addition, Tony Raymond, president of the Sabine Independent School District board, has also had health issues.
The school district also released a statement on Mr. Raymond’s health.
“Cardinal Community: Some of you have already heard, but for those that may not know, our school board president, Mr. Tony Raymond recently experienced a health scare that required immediate medical evaluation.
“Following a CT scan on Friday, doctors discovered a tumor in his left cerebellar hemisphere, which led to surgery Monday afternoon.
“Tony pours so much of his heart, leadership, and time into serving our schools, staff, and community. Now, it is our turn to lift him up.
“On behalf of the Raymond family and all of us at Sabine ISD, we ask that you keep Tony, his family, and his medical team in your thoughts and prayers during this time. We are Sabine Strong!”
Russell went 22-11 in his first tenure at Harmony, then returned in 2010 for what would become a 12-year run. He went 1-9 in a somewhat disastrous first season, but wow, what a turnaround: 9-3 the next year.
His best two seasons, record-wise, leading the Eagles were the 2017 season, in which the Eagles went 11-1 and scored 602 points (they topped the 600-point total two straight years) and the following year, going 10-2 in 2018. He won a battle with cancer during that time period.
Prior to accepting the AD and head football coach position at Sabine, Russell was at Grace since 2022, and finished with a 25-16 record. He guided Grace to 9-2 records in each of his first two seasons.
Sabine football has had a good start to the season.
After a shutout loss at home to Shelbyville to open the season on Aug. 28, Russell’s Cardinals stunned many in East Texas with a 42-16 beat-down of Elysian Fields in the home game that followed on Sept. 4.
Sabine lost, but by just seven (49-42), its first road test of the season at Mineola on Sept. 11, bounced back with a one-point win at Redwater on Sept. 18 (29-28), and then lost by a good-sized margin, 49-8, against New Diana two weeks ago.
The Cards had an open date last weekend.
They’re 2-3 as they get ready to embark on this season’s district schedule.
Sabine hosts one of its biggest rivals on Thursday night in a matchup of two teams in the ETBlitz.com coverage area, as the Cards host coach Jermaine Lewis and the Gladewater High School Bears.
The Bears are also 2-3, but have lost two of their last three games, including a 45-10 loss at home to Athens two weeks ago.
Both Sabine and Gladewater were off last week, as was their whole district.
Sabine, according to ETBlitz.com records, has never defeated Gladewater in football.
While ETBlitz.com as a staff is impartial on the field, we wish coach Russell and Mr. Raymond all the best, good health, and would like for them to know they’re in our prayers.