Paradise High School has a new head coach and athletic director leading the Panthers this season. However, he is not new to Paradise. Tommy Koch has served as the defensive coordinator for the Paradise Panthers since 2019.
Koch was promoted to athletic director and head football coach after his father, Joe Koch, who had held this position since 2018, retired after 41 seasons as a coach.
Koch was drawn to Paradise because of the family dynamic that is established within the town. “It’s also a place where family is important, you come into the weight room and you’ll see little kids/ coaches with their kids running around.”
Koch has been a well-liked coach amongst the athletes and the Paradise community. With the 2024 state semi-finals loss to Malakoff, the Panthers are ready to set their goals even higher to have their chance at a Texas football state title.
When asked about how Koch wants to involve himself now that he is the head coach, Koch explains that he “does not want to micromanage” but “will be heavily involved” with all of the teams.
Koch also finds that using his upperclassmen to mentor the younger kids, by pairing up an upperclassman with an underclassman for guidance or having team bible study, creates a great team bond, which in return also creates greatness.