Interview: KIPP Booker T. Washington head football coach Wayne Reese Jr. carries on strong family legacy

When my wife and I were blessed to become parents, the question of naming a son or daughter after ourselves was broached. It was never really considered.

Having had an older brother named after our father and grandfather, establishing one’s own identity seemed important, not to disrespect any others who have chosen namesakes for their children.

Sometimes, living up to the legacy of another of the same name is a tall task, if not too tall. The comparisons are inevitable. The comments of “your father never did that” are sure to follow.

Wayne Reese Sr. was a brilliant coach and a better man. He was my friend. He was incredibly accomplished. He touched so many lives before we lost him a few months ago to this dreaded coronavirus.

Wayne Reese Jr. is one of those who is living up to his namesake, no easy task.

Reese Jr. resurrected the once proud brand at Booker T. Washington High School as football returned to the school that was shut down by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and would not return for well over a decade.

In two short years, Reese Jr. had his Lions at 8-4 in 2019 and defeating perennial power Lutcher in the Class 3A playoffs before falling to Madison Prep.

It was an outstanding season for such a young program and the future is brighter.

Reese Jr. owes so much of to his late father, who once served as the head coach of the Lions in outstanding fashion. It has been hard to accept losing his dad but he has arrived at a level of peace with it, as he talked about on All Access on 106.1 FM Wednesday evening.

“I’m a reason person and things happen for a reason,” Reese said. “The lives that he touched throughout his career from the 70’s until now, that’s more than any state championship. That’s what he was about. He was about making a difference in this community, making an impact with these kids, showing them you can go to college. I tell people all the time. The state championship for daddy was Signing Day, making sure these kids had a school to go to. That was his main thing, helping these guys get to the next level. He was always behind them.”

In these challenging times in society, Reese is using the lessons he learned from his father to navigate the potentially troubled waters by accepting people for who they are, at face value, not by the color of their skin or where they come from.
“That’s what he taught us,” Reese said. “That’s what I am teaching my players and the social issues are not just starting, they’ve been going on and what we do at Booker T. Washington, the night before a game, we call it ‘Team Night.’

I have judges, NOPD, companies, alumni, everybody comes to talk to our team and they open up about it. They open up about how they’ve been treated in the community with NOPD and good and bad. We’re going to continue to do that. I think with these kids, they’re different, they’re staying up and we teach them to stand up for what you believe in.”

Is racism a taught behavior?

“Yes, that is the problem,” Reese said. “As coaches, as teachers, you have to show them. You have to tell them that some people are going to judge you. Let’s get deep into the problem. Why do you feel that way? Why do you feel that way? Once we handle that, there you go!

We assume a lot, instead of just sitting down and talking to an individual. It’s really not that bad. We might disagree but we can agree upon something and that’s what I teach my kids. Don’t judge anyone. Get to know that person why he feels that way and that person gets to know you. We need to come to the table and everybody has to see that. At the end of the day, we’re not going to agree on everything but we’re going to agree on something. That’s what I tell my kids and coaches.”

To prevent young men from judging others harshly, Reese has one simple premise.

“You have to tell them the truth,” Reese said. “You have to be honest with them. You have to allow them to open up to you and they have to let you know how they feel so you’ll know how to attack the problem.”

“We’ve got to help our kids understand, the guys over there are probably not that bad,” Reese said. “Let’s get to know them. Let’s get to know one another, no matter if you’re black, white, brown, blue. Just get to know one another. I think that will make this community a better community.”

Football can truly be a metaphor for life.

“At the end of the day, we all wake up the same, we all put our pants on the same and the beauty of athletics, that what is all about,” Reese said. We teach all that through the game of football. We’re all working to a common goal, to win that game and the same thing with what’s going on today. That person might look at you a certain way. Guess what? It is what it is. We have to move on and know what we want to do in life. There you go.”

Now, Reese will go forward in positive fashion to have a positive influence on the young men at Booker T. Washington with the heart and roar of a lion with a very good team that has 11 starters returning, including top wide receiver prospect Tyrese Johnson. Things are looking up for the Lions, who have an obvious goal.

“We have one goal and one goal only,” Reese said. “The good thing about Booker T. Washington is that we can see the Superdome. We can walk there. I kid with some of the coaches, telling them, ‘we’re going to be there.’ We’re going to be there one day and it’s going to be sometime soon and we’re going to second line from the Superdome to Booker T. Washington after the game.”

Lion fans everywhere cannot wait for that dance to begin.