By BOB TOMPKINS, Journal Sports
Family members, former players and colleagues are fondly remembering Bob Mahfouz,
a legendary football coach at Holy Savior Menard High School, principal, sports official and businessman who died Tuesday morning following complications from Covid. He was 88.
“He was a wonderful brother in our close family,” said Theresa Slater, his youngest sister and one of 11 Mahfouz siblings, of whom only four are alive. “He was loved by so many. We are going to miss him dearly.”
Mahfouz began his coaching career after graduating from Southeastern Louisiana University, where he was a two-year letterman as a running back and defensive end, playing for head coach Stan Galloway.
In his first coaching stint at Reserve Leon Godchaux High School (now East St. John), he helped the team as an offensive and defensive coordinator win the Class AA state championship in 1958. He got his first coaching apprenticeship under legendary coach Joe Keller, the namesake for the school’s stadium.
From there, he became the head football coach at Menard for three seasons (1963-65), guiding the Eagles to the Class AA semifinals his last two seasons.
“Bob was my coach my senior year at Menard,” said Bobby Distefano, who also worked with him later as part of the school’s administration when Mahfouz was a coach and principal. “We had just one week of spring practice after he took the job and we finished 3-6, but he was voted Coach of the Year the next year for turning the team around so quickly.
“He was a great coach,” Distefano continued. “He worked with the line. He believed in defense. I’m glad I had the opportunity to play under him.”
Mahfouz returned to Southeastern for several years as a defensive coordinator, then had an exceptional run as head coach at Lafayette High, from 1972-79 – all winning seasons and four playoff appearances. In his final season at Lafayette High, he led the Lions to a 12-0 record before they got beat in the semifinals by St. Augustine at then USL’s Cajun Field. During that time, he coached four quarterbacks who would sign college scholarships: Donnie Perry (Louisiana Tech), Rex Henderson (LSU, Northwestern State), his son, Robbie Mahfouz (LSU, SLU), and Dwight Prudhomme (USL).
“I’m already missing him,” said his son, Robbie, a former USFL quarterback with Jacksonville and longtime high school coach who’s now a special education teacher. “I learned so much from him, he had such a wealth of information. I really enjoyed playing for him and coaching with him (in Bob’s second stint at Menard). That was special.”
Mahfouz spent several years in the sporting goods business and did part-time work for many years as a high school and college official before accepting the head football coaching job at Menard in 1985, where “he immediately resurrected the program,” said Distefano.
Dr. Chance DeWitt, a cardiothoracic surgeon in Lafayette, played three seasons (’86-88) under Mahfouz. “Brother, we had never seen anything like that before, but others told us what was coming. I loved that coach. I feel bad for the kids that missed out being coached by him. He was a maker of men.”
Mahfouz coached a few seasons of professional football with the Louisiana Rangers of the Indoor Professional Football League. He lost his wife, Babs, last year, and in July he sold the Bayview Yacht Club bar, a business he ran for many years from two locations, to Shy Tyler.
“He took me in as family,” said Tyler. “He kind of took me under his wing and made me feel like part of the family. I’ll never forget his advice. He told me, “I never looked at this as a job. I met many people, made many friends. As long as you don’t ever look at it as a job, you’ll be successful. That, and “Don’t ever let it take over your life. Always maintain a balance between family and business, and you’ll be all right.’”
The funeral service will be Monday at 10 a.m. in the chapel of Kramer Funeral Home, Alexandria, and the first visitation will be there Sunday from 4-8 p.m., with the rosary at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will resume on Monday at 8:30 a.m. until the time of service.
There will also be a second visitation at Delhomme Funeral Home in Lafayette on Monday from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., and entombment will be at 3 p.m. at Calvary Catholic Cemetery Mausoleum in Lafayette.