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Burleson ISD names Chad Worrell as BHS head football coach, athletic coordinator

a.j. crisp, cleburne times-review, texas
·4 min read

Mar. 8—The Burleson Independent School District appointed Chad Worrell as the head football coach and athletic coordinator at Burleson High School during Tuesday's BISD board of trustees meeting.

Worrell brings 27 years of coaching experience — and experience at the highest level. As a head coach, Worrell has led teams to a state championship, a state finals appearance, and two state semi-final appearances and contributed to five Lone Star Cup Champion awards. As an assistant coach, Worrell coached teams that secured four consecutive state championship appearances and won two state titles.

Worrell established the Brock football program as head coach in 2011 and led his team to the 2015 Class 3A state championship, leading the nation and state in scoring offense. Under Worrell's leadership, the team advanced to the 2017 state finals and made two state semi-final appearances. Additionally, Brock won five UIL Lone Star Cups, honoring the best overall athletic and academic programs in Texas.

Throughout Worrell's head coaching career, he has won nine district championships and holds an overall career record of 157-48 and an overall playoff record of 33-10.

"Chad Worrell's outstanding track record of success growing programs into the best in the state speaks volumes about his exceptional coaching abilities," BISD Superintendent Bret Jimerson said. "Burleson High School already has a strong football tradition, and we are confident that Worrell's leadership will elevate it to even greater heights. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact he will have on the football program as well as other athletic programs at Burleson High School."

The head football coach and athletic coordinator position at BHS was open after Jon Kitna resigned in February after three years leading the Elks. Under Kitna's direction, Burleson went 17-15 including a bi-district title in 2021. After resigning from his post in Burleson, Kitna was named head coach at Lakota East High School near Cincinnati, Ohio. Kitna played five of his 14 seasons in the NFL for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Worrell was most recently head coach at El Campo where he led the Ricebirds to a 20-5 record that included two district championships and appearances in the regional semifinals in 2021 and the area round in 2022.

"I am honored to become the next Burleson High School head football coach and athletic coordinator," Worrell said. "I am very excited about taking on a program that has been established over the past few years by Coach Kitna. I'm fired up about the direction this program is headed and look forward to reaching new heights. I want to help lead this group of kids and the community to achieve excellence. Thank you for this opportunity."

Worrell told the Victoria Advocate that he wasn't looking to leave El Campo, but an opportunity with Burleson allowed him to be closer to family.

"There was one reason and one reason only," Worrell said. "My family is all from that area. ... I wasn't really looking. This kind of happened and it's back in the Metroplex, and it's closer to family."

Worrell has also served as head coach at San Angelo Grape Creek, Hamlin and Tom Bean.

Named as a 2022 coach of the Adidas All-American Bowl and the 2015 Max Preps National Small School Coach of the Year, Worrell is a 10-time coach of the year honoree from organizations such as Dave Campbell's Texas Football, Texas Sports Writers Association, Rivals, Padilla Poll, and more.

"First, I must thank Coach Kitna and his staff for building a culture at BHS that emphasized academics, accountability, and relationships," BISD Chief of Interscholastic Activities Kevin Ozee said. "From the top down, the vertical alignment and focus on factors beyond the scoreboard make Burleson ISD a place where top-notch coaches want to be. This is evident in the quality of candidates who applied for this position.

"We had 12 head coaches and many top assistants from high-profile and college programs apply. After interviewing 24 applicants, we believe we hired one of the best in Texas. Chad Worrell's resumé speaks for itself. What you don't see on the resumé that really came through during the interview process is his drive for high expectations while building great relationships. Chad's motto is 'Coach them hard. Love them harder.' We welcome Coach Worrell and his family to BISD."

Worrell played football at Southeastern Oklahoma State University while earning a Bachelor of Science degree.

Under Worrell's leadership, more than 100 players in his programs went on to play at the collegiate level, and 13 former assistant coaches moved on to become head football coaches.