Veteran DMV Coach Returns to Maryland for Second MIAA Stint

St. Vincent Pallotti taps Kenny Lucas as its new football coach, the veteran's six head coaching stint in the past 31 seasons

Kenny Lucas, a veteran coach in the DMV, has been named the new head coach St. Vincent Pallotti. / St. Vincent Pallotti

Kenny Lucas’ latest stop around the D.C. Beltway brings the veteran football coach to St. Vincent Pallotti.

Lucas Replaces Tony Ashley Who Guided the Panthers to Back-to-Back MIAA B Finals

The school recently announced Lucas as its new head coach, replacing Tony Ashley, who guided the Panthers to back-to-back MIAA B Conference runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2025.

A Return to the MIAA Was a Drawing Card

Lucas said that the opportunity to re-engage with the MIAA was the main reason that drew him to Pallotti.

"I was familiar with the program because I coached against them," Lucas said. "The MIAA is a formidable league, but it's not foreign land. I'm just blessed people have the confidence in me that I can come in and we can (get the job done)."

Lucas to Leads His Sixth High School Program in 30 Years

This is Lucas’ sixth head coaching position in the past 30 years, all in the DMV, to go along with three stints as a college coach. During that time, he has never moved from his current home in Bowie, Md. He previously led Archbishop Carroll, D.C. (1995-1996), Gonzaga, D.C. (2001-2006), and Bishop O’Connell, Va. (2019-2022) in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. He also launched the Annapolis Area Christian School program in 2007, his only other head coaching position in Maryland. Most recently, Lucas was the head coach at one-time power Hayfield, Va., taking over a program in transition following a VHSL playoff ban.

Pallotti went 8-5 overall in 2025 but finished 6-1 in MIAA B play. After defeating Boys’ Latin in the MIAA B semifinals, Pallotti lost to St. Paul’s in the final. Pallotti also went 6-1 in league play in 2024, reaching the MIAA B final, where it lost to Archbishop Curley.

Ashley went 44-35 in eight seasons as Pallotti’s head coach, highlighted by an 11-1 MIAA B Conference title-winning season in 2019. Pallotti went 1-3 in B Conference finals under Ashley.

Keeping Plays in the Program All Four Years Will Be a Focus

Lucas said that the key to long-term success at Pallotti is retaining players for all four years. He pointed to current NFL players Chase Young and Blake Corum, both of whom began their high school careers at Pallotti before transferring to more prominent in-state private school powerhouses. One notable exception was Jaret Patterson, who remained at Pallotti for his entire career and is now a running back for the Los Angeles Chargers.

"Pallotti has always had talented guys and been competitive," Lucas said. "We want to continue that, and, God-willing, maybe get one (a league title). "There is talent at Pallotti. We just need to retain that level of kid."

Lucas is best known for his tenures at Gonzaga and Annapolis Area Christian.

Lucas Led DC Power Gonzaga to an Undefeated Season in 2002

His time at Gonzaga in the early 2000s was highlighted by an undefeated season in 2002, the school's first in 76 years. The Purple Eagles were the No. 1 team in the D.C. Metro area and received a national ranking. Soon after, though, he took on a much different task.

His Previous MIAA Stop Was a Start-up Operation at Annapolis Area Christian

Lucas was the inaugural AACS coach, weathering a start-up season of 1-7 in 2007 and 1-10 in 2008. The program then rolled off three straight MIAA titles, going 8-2 in 2009, 10-0 in 2010, and 10-2 in 2011. AACS won the MIAA C Conference in 2009 and 2010, and the B Conference in 2011. Then things fell apart. AACS followed that with an 0-10 season in 2012 as a member of the B Conference before getting relegated back to the C Conference for 2013 and a 3-7 season.

Coach Lucas' College Resume Is Also Strong

After AACS, Lucas pursued college coaching opportunities, including stops at Morgan State and Howard in the late 2010s. He previously coached at Georgetown University from 1997 to 2000.

Lucas was a two-time collegiate All-America at the University of Delaware, where he graduated in 1988.