Duncanville ISD School & Family Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 16

Pantherettes Coach Receives City,
State Honors
In the
course of
a week,
the city of
Duncanville
named
a street
after Head
Women’s
Basketball
Coach
Cathy Self-
Morgan,
and she was
inducted
into the
prestigious Texas Sports Hall of Fame in Waco.
Those are the accolades befitting a person who is
frequently referred to as a legend in her field.
In 41 years of coaching, Self-Morgan’s teams
have won more than 1,100 games including eight
State Championships with an 83 percent winning
average.
“What I bring is that I love these kids, and if I
can get them to love me, they’ll run through the
wall for me.” Self-Morgan said.
On Saturday, April 7, Self-Morgan was inducted
into the Texas Sports of Hall of Fame alongside
other renowned Texas athletes and coaches.
Just a few days before that, the City of
Duncanville, in partnership with the school
district, renamed the street behind Duncanville
High School in honor of Self-Morgan.
Self-Morgan relishes the idea of telling opposing
teams that to get to the basketball arena, they’ll
have to drive down Cathy Self-Morgan Way.
“Most everyone who knows me thinks it should
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be named
‘my way
or the
highway’,”
Self-
Morgan
joked.
“They
would
know it’s
my street.”
Even
though
winning is
important,
Self-
Morgan has devoted the time and energy to
nurture her students. She has been at any given
time a mother, psychologist, social worker and
mentor.
“She isn’t just a coach, she doesn’t care just
about basketball,” said senior Zarielle Green.
“She cares about our feelings, our grades.”
All of Coach Self-Morgan’s seniors have gone on
to college careers, many of them receiving full-
ride scholarships to continue playing basketball.
Tammy Rios played for Coach Self-Morgan 18
years ago. She is now a teacher at Duncanville
ISD’s Alexander Elementary School. She
credits Self-Morgan with helping her obtain a
scholarship to continue her education and to
play basketball in college.
“She was tough on me,” Tammy said. “We
all gave her heck, just like you would your
own mother, but I love her. She has my heart
forever.”