Lake Worth head coach Jerry Prieto has been named the new head coach at Dayton High School, Dayton ISD announced on Tuesday. He'll replace Blake Ware, who departed earlier in February to take over at his alma mater Aldine MacArthur.

Prieto, who spent just one season at Lake Worth posting a 6-5 record, is best known for his tenure just 18 miles down the road at Crosby where he served as head coach from 2019-2022. He led the Cougars to a 5A-Division II state title game appearance in 2020 and a state semifinal appearance in 2021. He posted a 36-17 overall record at Crosby.

His arrival in Dayton should make for plenty of intrigue as Dayton visits Crosby in Week 1. Prieto, who was hired at Lake Worth in late May, will have much more of an opportunity to get an offseason program up and running as he inherits a Broncos squad that brings back plenty of experience.

“Dayton has a great history in the football program," he said. "When I was at Crosby I became very familiar with the community and kids and I always admired Dayton from a distance. Going through the process, I just felt really comfortable with the administration. It’s a great fit for my family it gets us back home closer to family and I’m excited to get started."

Prieto anticipates a start date of March 4.

Lake Worth, on the other hand, will be on its third head coach in three seasons, but considering the Bullfrogs location just outside of Fort Worth and solid recent success, they should get plenty of interest in the job opening.