‘It’s good to be home’: Inside Dustin Curtis’ return to Lexington football

Dustin Curtis was feeling a little nostalgic before his introduction as Lexington High School’s new football coach and athletic director.

Last night, Curtis said he slept in a “Rhino” T-Shirt that was given out when Jimmy Satterfield, the former Lexington football coach, was inducted into the school’s hall of fame.

The t-shirt was a replica of the one Satterfield used to give out when he was at Lexington and had all the schools that he coached at pictured on it. At Lexington, Satterfield handed out the shirts with blue rhinos on them to the players who had the biggest hits of the week.

When Curtis arrived at the school, he made sure to take a picture by Satterfield’s photo at the school’s hall of fame. Satterfield was Curtis’ coach when he played at Lexington and the Wildcats played for the 2000 state championship during Curtis’ senior season.

Curtis’ first remarks on Wednesday were about Satterfield, who died in 2019, and his influence on Curtis’ life as a player and person. He also talked about the excitement he felt to return to his alma mater for this new challenge.

“People around here know about Satterfield and all of his accomplishments, but to me it is the way he treated us that made me want to be what I am and make me get into this profession,” Curtis said. “... I knew in my heart what I wanted to do and it was because of coach Satterfield.”

Curtis is the first former Wildcat player to be hired as head football coach.

“I believe we got this one right,” Lexington One Athletic Director David Bennett said Wednesday.

Curtis returns to his alma mater after head coaching stops at Westwood, AC Flora and Dorman. He was at Dorman, one of the state’s premier athletic programs, just one year before leaving for Lexington.

“The hardest part about all this was the timing,” Curtis said. “There is nothing I can say or do that would change that. You can’t not follow your heart and be back closer to your parents. … I never have been a part of a building with that many high quality people as I was this past year at Dorman.”

Curtis’ name popped up on everyone’s radar when the position opened after Perry Woolbright left to take the Clover job.

Despite the allure of returning to coach in his hometown, Curtis wasn’t sure if he was going to pursue the opportunity when it came open, But Curtis credits his wife, Jessica, who also is a Lexington grad, for giving him the final push to pursue the position.

“Jessica and I knew together in our hearts that this was a job that God was opening,” Curtis said. “It was a time in my life where I felt family, especially my stepfather (who has leukemia), needed us to be here. We are excited to maximize our time and be here. I got cousins who live in Gilbert that graduated from here, too. It is good to be home.”

Curtis said one of his big priorities will be to learn how to be an athletic director for the first time, and he said he is looking forward to meeting with, and supporting all the other sports at the school.

Curtis also will sit down with current Lexington football coaches and start to fill out his staff. There are a few coaches who left to go with him to Dorman that he might bring back.

The Wildcats were 9-3 last season and made it to the second round of the playoffs. They had a Mr. Football finalist in running back Jonah Norris and six all-state selections, including quarterback Taiden Mines.

Curtis talked about Mines and several of the other returning players during his news conference.

“Any time you can come to a program and have a kid that exudes leadership and control the offensive scheme whether it is new or not is helpful.” Curtis said of Mines. “He is a special player at quarterback and gives you a chance to win games.”