Legendary Texas high school football coach Freddie James, whose storied career at Dallas' Carter High School inspired the film "Friday Night Lights," has died at the age of 89. James passed away on October 29, according to reports.
James coached at Carter High School from 1982 to 1995, amassing 139 wins and transforming the program into a Texas powerhouse. His 1988 championship team is often cited as one of the greatest high school football teams in the state's history, despite a later controversy involving an ineligible player. The University Interscholastic League stripped the school of the title in 1991, but James maintained that the team proved its superiority on the field.
"It didn't worry me. We proved on the field who was the best," James told The Dallas Morning News at the time. "I wasn't worried about the trophy. That's just a thing, in the mind of the people, Carter High School was the best team. We were the greatest that particular night."
Following his death, current Carter High School head coach Spencer Gilbert paid tribute to James, calling him "more than a football coach. He was a mentor, he was a father, a grandfather. Everything you asked a man to do." Gilbert added that James emphasized the importance of the legacy of people impacted, rather than just wins and losses.
James's influence extended beyond the field. His coaching tenure and the Carter High program were central to the 2004 film "Friday Night Lights." He was also portrayed in the 2015 film "Carter High."
James was inducted into the Dallas ISD Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018 and was part of the inaugural Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame class in 1996. He is survived by his son, Frenanda, three grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter.