Not in it for the athletes, but in it to make men

Josh Ehambe’s story reads like a comeback film — the kind that begins in hardship and ends in hope, winding through the noise of broken homes, failed systems and improbable redemption. But for Ehambe, the script is real. Now serving as Dean of Students and Assistant Athletic Director at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, Texas, he’s proof that perseverance, faith and second chances can write the brightest chapters.

From Congo to Texas

Born into a large family with roots in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ehambe was the youngest of seven children. His parents immigrated to the United States over 30 years ago, his father initially aspiring to become a pilot before turning to pastoral ministry. The family settled into a life centered around church and resilience — values that would later shape Josh’s spiritual foundation and leadership philosophy.

Despite a strong faith background, his childhood wasn’t without deep wounds. “I love my dad with all my heart,” he told a Baylor University audience in October. “But he was the cause of a lot of pain and hurt in our family.” Ehambe spoke candidly about growing up in an environment marked by abuse and emotional distance. “First time my dad said he loved me was maybe three or four years ago,” he said.

The struggles at home left him searching for worth — often in places that couldn’t give it. “I tried to find identity in relationships, in friends, in sports,” he said. Football, though imperfect, became his refuge. “Sports kept me off the streets,” he reflected. “Every day after school, I was either at practice or at the gym. I was just trying to stay out of trouble.”

Defying the Odds

Growing up in Mansfield, just south of Dallas, Ehambe initially followed his basketball-playing siblings before realizing that football better suited his talents — and his individuality. “I wanted something of my own,” he said. “Everyone in my family played basketball. I chose football because I didn’t want to live in their shadows.”

But his journey through high school athletics was anything but a straight line. After bouncing between Mansfield Summit, Grace Prep Academy and Deion Sanders’ short-lived Prime Prep Academy — an unaccredited experiment in high-level sports education — Ehambe faced academic disqualification. “None of us had high school diplomas,” he recalled. “I just remember crying in the parking lot. I thought the dream was over.”

It wasn’t. The University of Kansas called and gave him a chance. Through long nights of study and one-on-one support from an academic advisor who “stuck with me until 1 a.m.,” Ehambe turned a 1.6 GPA into a 3.3. “I made the Dean’s List for the first and last time in my life,” he said with a laugh. That moment cemented his belief that discipline, and faith could rewrite his story.

The Faith That Anchors Him

Ehambe’s football career at Kansas was filled with challenges — concussions, injuries, and the mental toll of unmet expectations. “We went 0-12 one season,” he said. “It was rough.” When his body began to fail him after multiple injuries, the same sport that once saved him now demanded something more profound: surrender.

“I got to the point where I was done with football,” he said. “I didn’t love it anymore. But when I stopped playing, that’s when God’s plan started to make sense.”

Ehambe remained at Kansas, shifting from player to mentor through a student-athlete development internship. Guiding athletes in life skills, financial literacy and faith, he found purpose where pain once lived. “I realized I didn’t want to just build athletes,” he said. “I wanted to build men.”

That realization led him to Baylor University, where his calling deepened. There, he earned a Master of Divinity with a concentration in sports ministry, later serving as chaplain for the Baylor men’s basketball and football teams. “Guys like Jeremy Sochan and Langston Love — I got to pour into them not as athletes, but as people,” he said. “That was powerful.”

Building Something New

Now at Live Oak Classical, Ehambe’s mission extends beyond mentoring. He dreams of founding a K–12 private charter school in his hometown — a school that embodies grace, accountability and opportunity. “Frederick Douglass said it best,” he said. “It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” His passion for shaping youth reflects lessons from the chaos of his own academic journey. “I’ve seen schools that failed us,” he said. “I want to do it the right way.”

He’s already taken notes. “I keep a list on my phone of everything I’ve learned from each program I’ve been part of — what worked, what didn’t,” he said. “Even Prime Prep taught me something — just not how to do it.”

As Dean of Students, his days are filled with structure, mentorship and faith-driven motivation. His mornings begin at 5 a.m. in the gym. “If I’m not working out, my mind’s off,” he said. His evenings belong to his wife, Venae, a former Baylor track star who now works for Nike, designing athletic footwear and traveling the globe. “She’s way cooler than me,” Ehambe joked. “I’m just dealing with kids.”

Grace, Growth, and Gratitude

Ehambe’s faith serves as the backbone for his outlook on life. “Confidence comes from knowing who I am in God,” he said. “Before Jesus did anything in His ministry, the first thing He heard was, ‘You are my beloved Son, in whom I’m well pleased.’ That truth reminds me I don’t have to earn love.”

Forgiveness has also been part of his journey. After years of resentment, he reconciled with his father. “He asked us for forgiveness,” Ehambe said. “And later, I went back to ask his forgiveness, too. You can’t hold onto bitterness — it’s like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.”

Forward, Through the Storm

If you ask Ehambe today what drives him, he’ll answer quickly: faith, family and future generations. “My faith keeps me going. My wife keeps me going. And the younger generation keeps me grounded,” he said. “Someone is always looking up to you.”

His guiding lesson to his younger self captures his philosophy best: “Don’t run from the storm — lean into it. That’s what buffaloes do. They go through it.”

And that’s exactly what Josh Ehambe has done — through adversity, reinvention and grace — proving that faith doesn’t just move mountains. Sometimes, it builds schools.