BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
Less than a month after winning the Class 6A Division 1 state championship, the Duncanville boys basketball team will have a new leader, but a familiar face. Neiman Ford was named the new coach by the district on Friday.
Former coach David Peavy is headed to Southeastern Prep Academy in Florida, along with 4-star 2027 guard Beckham Black, his stepson. Peavy led the Panthers for seven seasons – taking them to the state tournament five times.
Ford, who started at Duncanville as a boys assistant in 2018, was the head coach for the girls team. Ford helped the Pantherettes to a state championship in 2024. This past season, the girls went 29-7 before losing to Cedar Hill 57-47 in the regional final.
The boys team defeated Houston Bellaire 54-52 in San Antonio on March 9. TCU bound senior guard Kayden Edwards was voted state champ MVP with 23 points and six rebounds. Senior 6-7 forward Cam Smith joined Edwards on the 6A D1 state all tournament team.
The Panthers capped the season with a 28-7 record.
In seven years at Duncanville, Peavy posted a 201-32 record. The Panthers had three consecutive 1-loss seasons from 2021 to 2023 (29-1, 35-1, 29-1). They also won a district title in all seven seasons under Peavy.
The UIL championship in March marked Duncanville’s sixth all-time.
Duncanville also reached in 2020, but didn’t play a game after the tournament was canceled from COVID-19. The UIL would declare a co-championship to all state tourney teams. Along with the team’s six titles (seven if you count 2020), they also reached state 10 times.
Following the 2022 season, the UIL stripped Duncanville of its 69-49 state championship win over McKinney and punished the program and Peavy for an ineligible player in Anthony Black. They suspended Peavy for one-year and the program was given a three-year probation and a public reprimand. Peavy wasn’t allowed to coach the Panthers during the 2022-23 season and the team couldn’t participate in the playoffs.
Ford, who served as Peavy’s assistant, led the Panthers that year. Duncanville went on to finish 29-1 and still competed in district – going 14-0. The Panthers were awarded a national championship and finished ranked #1 by both MaxPreps and USA Today.
In a statement on Twitter by Duncanville ISD, “Ford brings a wealth of experience as a coach across multiple levels, including middle school, high school and collegiate athletics. He has coached a variety of sports, including boys and girls basketball, girls soccer, football and track & field, and has developed several All-American athletes and Team USA Gold Medalists.”
