COMSTOCK PARK, Mich. — Doug Samuels helped restore a Ravenna football program that was coming off of a 3-6 season when he was hired. On Thursday, Samuels confirmed to FOX 17 that he has accepted the head coaching job at Comstock Park. Samuels was at the helm for two seasons at Ravenna and led the program to a 13-7 overall record including a district finals appearance last fall.
"Couldn’t be more excited to be all in at Comstock Park," Samuels said in a statement to FOX 17. "Leaving Ravenna was a very difficult decision for my family and I, as we felt like we were leaving a special place where we could compete for conference titles and make playoff runs for the foreseeable future. But the opportunity at Comstock Park and the vision they have for the future was appealing in too many ways to let it become an opportunity that I was willing to let slip through my fingers. I'm very thankful of the players and staff that we had at Ravenna that were all in and they are the real reason for the program’s success. Ravenna’s success is bigger than me or any one person, and it was an excellent program long before me, and they will bring someone in that can take it to the next level, and that’s what that community and those kids deserve."
Prior to his time as a head coach, he served as the offensive coordinator for West Ottawa under Ryan Oshnock. Samuels was part of a Panthers program in 2017 when the program won a district championship and finished the OK Red unbeaten..
The 34-year-old Samuels inherits a Panther program that has gone 3-15 combined over the past two seasons. The Panthers will embark on a new conference next fall as the program joins the OK Silver.
