Brice Musgrove realized his calling in life wasn’t to sail the seas but to help his alma mater set sail toward football championships.
“I was in the middle of the ocean at 3 a.m. and looked into nothing, and it came into me clear as day; that’s what I was supposed to be doing,” he said of his decision to become a football coach.
This happened in 2016. So, he decided to make a career change, even while he was in the Navy. He worked as an assistant coach at a high school in eastern Virginia, but he knew where he wanted to get back to – his alma mater, the Cedar Hill Longhorns.
And that’s where he will be as the assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator this season. It will be his second return to the Longhorns, as he made a return in 2021 before leaving for a year to coach at Midlothian.
But when the heart wants to go home, it’s time to go home.
“It’s an exciting time. When coach (Nick) Ward decided to go back to Cedar Hill, it was something I couldn’t pass up. It’s an opportunity to re-right the ship,” Musgrove said. “The CH is still the CH. It takes the right people to get it going again.”
Musgrove should know. He was a part of the Longhorns when they were among the best.
He graduated from Cedar Hill High School in 2010. He played varsity football from 2007-2009 under head coach Joey McGuire, now the head coach at Texas Tech. The Longhorns posted a 30-7 record over that period.
Musgrove was on the freshman team in 2006 when the Cedar Hill varsity won its first state championship. He was called to the varsity for the playoffs that season but didn’t play in any of the games.
During his time on the varsity, Cedar Hill won district championships in 2008 and 2009. They reached the regional final in 2008. He was an honorable mention all-state defensive lineman, first-team all-district, all-region, and all-area as a senior in 2009.
He was also part of the first graduating class from Bessie Coleman Middle School.
After graduating from Cedar Hill, Musgrove went on to play for the Naval Academy. While there, the Midshipmen went 4-0 against archrival Army. The Midshipmen made it to three bowl games – Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl in San Francisco in 2012, the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth in 2013, and the Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego in 2014. Navy won the bowl games in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Musgrove retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Engagement Control Officer after serving from 2014-2021.
As for his highlights in the service, he said, “The relationships I built with sailors, having a chance to lead them, lifelong bonds I built with my teammates and classmates that went into the fleet with me.”
Musgrove coached the defensive in 2021, helping the Longhorns reach the third round of the playoffs. During his one season at Midlothian, he helped the Panthers go 12-1 and reach the third round of the playoffs.
His brother, Walter, played football at Texas State University. He’s currently an NFL agent.
Musgrove has been married for seven years to his wife, Sedarria. They have two daughters and a son, and one child on the way.
