RICHMOND, Va. β A Richmond educator who dedicated 54 years to teaching and coaching was posthumously honored at Armstrong High School, where his impact on athletics and student lives continues to resonate.
Coach Gerard Samuels was inducted into the Armstrong-Kennedy Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday night, with family, friends and former athletes gathering to celebrate his legacy. His daughters, CBS 6 Anchor GeNienne Samuels and Mercedes Branch, accepted the honor on his behalf, with his first daughter DeHavill and Rogers watching on video. Samuels unexpectedly passed in 2021.
Samuels made history as the first African American male physical education teacher in Henrico County at Brookland Middle School and spent decades shaping young lives through education and athletics.
Born and raised in Richmond, Samuels attended West End Elementary School, where his mother Jessie Poindexter Samuels taught. He later attended Benjamin Graves Middle School and Maggie Walker High School, where he discovered his passion for track and field.
Samuels earned a track scholarship to Florida A&M University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He later earned a Master's in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University.
His coaching career began at Brookland Middle School, where he met his wife Nancy, also an educator for more than four decades. At Brookland, one of his football teams went unscored on, untied and undefeated. He also taught at Virginia Randolph and spent time in Washington, D.C. and Prince George's County Public Schools, after retiring from Richmond Public Schools.
At Armstrong High School, Samuels served as Athletic Director and longtime track and field coach. Under his leadership, the program won numerous championships, including the 1982 Girls Indoor Regional Championship and the 1982 Outdoor State Championship.
Several of his former athletes, including Alexander Cole and Andre Williams, have been inducted into the Armstrong-Kennedy Hall of Fame.
Zachary Branch, also inducted in the 2026 class, credits Samuels with discovering his athletic potential and changing his life's direction.
"Coach Samuels is the person who discovered me for track," Branch said. "He took notice of my abilities to be able to run, my endurance when we were doing the physical fitness test when I was in the speed class in the Armstrong building. For what he did for me led to who I am today. It got me out of my condition and where I come from in my neighborhood, and it was able to set me on my path to success where I'm able to give back to other students who attended Armstrong High School."
Branch said Samuels changed his entire life trajectory.
"I owe him everything," Branch said.
Beyond coaching and teaching, Samuels volunteered for after-school programs at every school where he worked. He was an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity for more than 50 years alongside his brother Fleming Samuels.
His greatest joy came from his five grandchildren: Devin, Bayleigh, Leiah, Kinnady and MJ. He loved cooking for family gatherings, teaching his grandchildren to cook, fish and play sports, and cheering from the sidelines at their games.
The Armstrong-Kennedy Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026 also includes James Jackson, Ed Randolph, Calvin Jackson, Zachary Branch, Calvin Jackson and George Mallory.
For many who attended the ceremony, Samuels' induction served as a reminder that his influence extended far beyond athletic achievements. His legacy lives on in the countless students whose lives he touched during his 54-year career in education and athletics.
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