Lake Creek HS Principal Phil Eaton calling it a career after 43 years

~ Montgomery ISD

Eaton widely known as an inspiring coach and educator; will retire in December

“It’s a Great Day to Be a Lake Creek Lion.” This is a phrase one will often hear Lake Creek High School Principal Phil Eaton say to his students and staff as they enter the school building, or as he starts his daily morning announcements on the campus loudspeaker. The simple statement quickly became the quote of positivity and optimism that brings the students, staff, parents and community together as Lake Creek High School Lions.

Eaton, now in his 43rd year in education, is calling it a career in December 2021. Montgomery ISD is thankful that he has given 13 of those years to the students and staff in our district.

According to Eaton, the celebration of one’s career as it comes to an end often reflects on the abundance of people, students, colleagues, and community members who propped up and gave support to the celebrant.

“I am a beneficiary of being surrounded by amazing people all throughout my career,” Eaton said. “For me, it’s always been about the people – the TEAM – and I have made life-long friends here in Montgomery and beyond.”

In 2009, after serving as an educator in school districts in the Greater Houston area, Eaton accepted the offer to become principal of Montgomery High School. Under his leadership at Montgomery High School, the Bears were consistently in the top ten of the Texas Lone Star Cup, repeatedly attained high ratings in state accountability, and were recognized as one of the top high schools in the country

In 2018, as Montgomery ISD was preparing to open a second high school campus, Eaton was selected to be the first principal of Lake Creek High School. The buzz and excitement associated with the opening of Lake Creek was loud and consistent, and according to Eaton, the 2018-19 school year had one great day after another.

“When we first opened in 2018 it was very rare to see any Lake Creek apparel around town,” Eaton said. “Today the ‘LC’ branding of Lake Creek is seen all throughout Montgomery County. Our vision from day one was to be the school that all other great schools want to be like. And that move to the top continues today.”

At the start of his career, Eaton was known as “Coach”. After just four years in education, teaching English in the classroom and basketball on the court, he became the youngest head basketball coach in the state’s largest division. While in Pasadena ISD, Eaton led his basketball teams to historic success following a formula of goal setting, hard work and determination. Coach Eaton earned a long list of honors, crediting all accolades to the mountainous efforts of his players, unrivaled support from district and campus leaders, and the willful understanding of the parents of his student athletes.

After a move to Humble High School, Eaton’s success as a coach grew as he led the school to five straight district championships, with deep playoff runs including a state championship tournament appearance. In 2020, Phil Eaton was named one of the Top 100 Coaches of Boys Basketball in the long history of Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL), an honor he says belongs to all of the players he had the opportunity to coach.

Eaton racked up over 400 wins as a coach before hanging up his coaching clipboard and stepping into a campus administration role. After coaching, Eaton left courtside and began the second half of his career as an Assistant Principal; first at Humble High School and then at Spring High School. The Assistant Principal role in both districts gave him the opportunity to develop his love of attending student events and watching them participate in all of their activities. Whether athletics, fine arts, or robotics, it was very rare for Eaton to miss a student event. His support of students and his presence at school activities will always be remembered.

After six years as an AP, Eaton was named the Principal of a new high school in Spring ISD, which according to him was one of the most rewarding jobs of his career.

“To be given the opportunity to open two brand new high schools during my career was incredibly rewarding,” Eaton said. “Opening a new campus is never easy, and having gone through the experience at Dekaney High School in Spring was excellent preparation for the challenge when we opened Lake Creek.”

In March of 2020, when the world was first grappling with the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eaton was fighting for his life. He was one of Memorial Hermann’s first intubated COVID-19 patients and spent 51 days in the hospital. Montgomery ISD staff, students and families visited the principal’s Caring Bridge page over 50,000 times with messages of encouragement and kindness. After 21 days on a ventilator, Eaton reached out to his students on social media and thanked them for their prayers and support, and the community continued to rally around his recovery efforts. The hospital held a parade allowing all of his supporters to drive by and see him on his exiting the hospital, on his way to a full recovery. He credits his recovery to the amazing men and women that never gave up while getting him the best medical care and was so very humbled by the support, prayers, concerns and encouragement from the district community.

“As I arrived in Montgomery ISD, Eaton was recovering from his very public battle with COVID-19,” Montgomery ISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Morrison said. “I was immediately inspired by this man, whose focus was just as much about his students and staff as it was his own personal health.”

This is “Year Four, Our Loudest Ro4r” for Lake Creek HS and the theme for the year is “Premier is Here”. Under Eaton’s leadership, the Lake Creek High School community has set a standard of excellence for students, staff and every member of the Lion Community.

Lake Creek HS math teacher Brian Tudman says that Eaton always demands the best.

“I used to play against him in high school and he was the most intense coach I ever knew,” Tudman said. “That’s undoubtedly why he has been so successful throughout his career. Whatever level is above maximum effort, that is the level he demands from us!”

“Phil will bring his career as an educator to a close this December,” Morrison said. “But the impact of these 43 years will live on through the students and educators he has led on the court, in the classroom and from the front office. This not the end of Phil Eaton’s leadership journey. It is simply the beginning of a new chapter.”

Eaton’s next chapter will certainly hold the same level of intensity, effort and passion present at every step of his career.

“We always adopted a mindset where you show up each day, and, no matter which role you have on the team, you take it on and do it how the absolute best would,” Eaton said. “That way, when people talk about you, they are indeed talking about the best school and team in the state of Texas.”

Today, one might say, “It’s a Great Day to be Phil Eaton.”