In any realignment year the number of coaching changes in Texas high school football takes a leap and this off-season was no different as a total of 221 UIL schools from Class 6A down to Class 2A will have new coaches in the 2018 season.

Who are the teams with new leaders on the sidelines we are keeping the closest eye on when things kick off on August 30? The storylines are varied and numerous across the state and each program has different challenges ahead, but the beauty of Texas High School Football is there’s always something interesting going on in our great state! 

Is there a team or new head coach we left out that we should look at? Let us know matt.stepp@texasfootball.com.

Tuscola Jim Ned: After one of their best seasons in recent memory (9-3 and an area round playoff appearance) in 2017, Jim Ned fans had high expectations for 2018 as fifteen total starters return to the fold. A strong summer of 7-on-7 bolstered those expectations, but Indians fans were dealt of a bit of a shocking blow in late June with the sudden departure of head coach Jerod Womack who became the full time athletic director in Stephenville. Jim Ned ISD administration moved quickly to name Womack’s replacement staying in-house promoting offensive coordinator Matt Fanning to head coach in an effort to keep what’s been a program trending upwards in that same direction. Fanning also has the added benefit of head coaching experience having spent several seasons leading Class 2A Era before joining the staff at Jim Ned last year. The district is certainly one of the toughest in Region I with powerful Wall as the headliner, but Breckenridge, Eastland and Clyde will all be very tough as well.

Kemp: After their best season in school history (13-2 and a state semi-final appearance), Kemp had to go back to the drawing board this off-season and hire a new head coach after Brandon Hankins departed to take over at Class 4A Farmersville. Kemp may have a chance to be even better in 2018 with sixteen returning starters, including nine from a defense that really came of age in the playoffs a year ago. In steps an experienced hand in Lee Wilkins to lead the program, he had several successful seasons leading Princeton and spent 2017 as the defensive coordinator at Humble Kingwood Park, he’s got a similar style to Hankins and most are anticipating a smooth transition. Kemp comes into the season as the heavy favorite in 6-3A Division I, but Region II will be a much tougher road come playoff time with the addition of Atlanta, Tatum and Gladewater all down from Class 4A.

Trinity: One of the more underrated hires this off-season in deep East Texas was Trinity bringing in former Navasota head coach Patrick Goodman to lead the way. Goodman had a couple of tough seasons at Navasota, but was put into a perfect storm of difficulty with a couple of down seasons in talent and the fact he was trying to replace a legend in Lee Fedora. Goodman is a good coach who has been around state title teams and should be in place to do good things at Trinity, if the Tigers can navigate the waters in a very tough district that includes Franklin, 4A drop down Diboll and always tough Coldspring and Crockett.

Rice Consolidated: After a solid two year run as head coach at Hardin-Jefferson, Jared Sloan gets a bit closer to home as he takes over at Rice Consolidated after the departure of Gary Zeniert in early March. Sloan inherits one of the most experienced squads in Region IV with eight returning starters on both sides of the ball. QB Garrison Gentry and RB Ian Hargrove will be the two primary playmakers on the offensive side of the ball as the Raiders look to go from borderline playoff team to district title contender. The road won’t be easy in a tough 13-3A Division I that features five playoff worthy teams including Hitchcock, a Boling squad that played for a 3A Division II title in 2016 and made the semi-finals in 2017, Columbus down from 4A and always athletic Hempstead.