Which Fort Worth high school football programs have newly hired or promoted head coaches?
A fresh season of Texas high school football is right around the corner. With the start of 2023-24 athletic year, several newly hired or promoted head coaches are preparing to lead programs for the first time.
Here are some first year head coaches to keep an eye on.:
Wes Weaver, Saginaw Boswell
Weaver is a first-year head coach, but he’s no stranger to the Boswell offense. He was promoted from an offensive coordinator position. He said the transition went smoothly and he is learning new things everyday.
In 2022, the Pioneers had a solid 8-3 record in District 3-6A. Weaver said he would love to compete for a district championship and said they need to put themselves in the right position by “putting the pieces together.”
He said the talent is there and mentioned there isn’t going to be a falloff of what the Pioneers have established in the last two seasons.
“We are going to be a very disciplined team,” Weaver said. “We’re going to be competitive. That’s what we’re going to hang our hat on.”
Chad Rives, Arlington Martin
The Warriors had an excellent season in 2022, winning 10 games. Bob Wagner finished year No. 17 as head coach of Arlington Martin; then joined Matt Rhule’s staff at Nebraska in December.
Now, the Warriors will turn to Rives, their longtime offensive coordinator, to lead the program. Last season, the Warriors were undefeated in district play, suffering losses in non district play and the playoffs.
Wager recorded a 206-100 career record. He won his fourth consecutive District 8-6A title before joining the Cornhuskers; Arlington Martin has been undefeated in district play since 2018 although they did have one tie in 2020.
Robert DeSanto, Mansfield Timberview
The Wolves had an excellent season in 2022, winning 13 games and making the regional final in Class 5A D1. They return 13 starters, eight on defense.
DeSanto, an offensive coordinator in 2022, was promoted to the head coaching position. Will he continue the Wolves’ dominance in District 4-5A D1?
Curtis James, Arlington Heights
Phil Young has been coach of the Arlington Heights Yellowjackets for 10 seasons. Longtime defensive coordinator Curtis James was promoted to head coach on July 17.
With James rising, former defensive line coach Patrick Jones takes over as defensive coordinator. Jones played under James at Arlington Heights before starting his coaching career. Jones called James a “defensive mastermind” and said he learned the game through him.
“He’s open,” Jones said of James. “He thinks outside the box. He has never shot down an idea that I’ve had. He puts a lot of consideration into it. If he like it, we’ll go with it. If he doesn’t he tells me why and helps me understand that.”
Young had a 63-44 records as head coach and finished his time with the Yellowjackets with a playoff victory. In District 4-5A D2, Arlington Heights finished with 10 wins.
C.J. Wilson, Fort Worth Polytechnic
C.J. Wilson, a former NFL defensive back, is taking over head coaching duties for the Fort Worth Polytechnic Parrots, who struggled in 2022. The squad won one game in District 4-5A D2.
Wilson, who grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, provides the Parrots with a fresh start. Will they trend upwards in 2023?
The team is returning eight starters, so expect to see some new faces in prominent roles.
Robby Jones, Aledo
Longtime head coach Tim Buchanan finished his career with a Class 5A-D1 State Championship. Buchanan, the founder of the Bearcat football program, had two stints as head coach of Aledo from 1993 to 2013 and 2019 to 2022.
Now, longtime offensive coordinator Robby Jones is set to take over head coaching duties. Aledo has won 111 consecutive district games.
The pressure, of course, is high. Jones, however, is starting his 24th year as a coach at Aledo and said he is used to high expectations.
Carlos Lynn, Crowley High School
In 2022, the Crowley Eagles secured a playoff berth in their first season in Class 6A and had a 4-3 record in District 3-6A. Will they continue to build momentum under Carlos Lynn?
In the past six years, Lynn tallied a 44-26 record as a head coach at Cedar Hill. The Eagles have 10 starters returning. Will they compete with Saginaw Boswell and Crowley for the top spot in the district?
Jerry Edwards, Colleyville Heritage
In 2022, Jerry Edwards led Harker Heights to the Class 6A D2 quarterfinal, losing to the DeSoto Eagles, the eventual state champions. Now, Edwards is preparing to start his first season as a head coach at Colleyville Heritage.
The Colleyville Heritage Panthers were an area finalist in 2022 with an 8-4 total record and a 5-2 one in District 4-5A D2. Nine players return to the Panther offense, which is a tremendous sign for Edward’s first season.
Cody Worrell, Mineral Wells
The Mineral Wells Rams struggled in District 4-4A D1 in 2022, winning zero games in district play. Will Cody Worrell, who has assistant coaching experience at Brock and Burleson, turn things around?
The Rams have 14 starters returning, the second highest in the district.
