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

Previously: Class 6A / 5A DI

Everman: Legendary head coach Dale Keeling announced his retirement at Everman early in the season and the Bulldogs who were 0-3 rattled off seven straight wins and a district title before falling in the first round of the playoffs. His legacy at Everman is tremendous as before his arrival in 1999 the Bulldogs had never advanced past the third round of the playoffs, he departed with two state titles, three other state semi-final appearances and three other trips to the state quarter-finals. Everman now gives longtime DC Dale Matlock the reins to a veteran team that comes in with some high hopes, but there was a bit of a blow this off-season as star WR JT Clark transferred to Fort Worth Wyatt after a big junior season. Everman is still in Region II, but is in a mostly familiar district where they’ll be fighting for second place as Aledo is the undisputed king of this group.  The Bulldogs should be in contention with Midlothian, Burleson and Burleson Centennial for a spot in the playoffs behind the Bearcats.

Red Oak: When we take a look back at 2018, the best hire in the state may wind up being Red Oak bringing Chris Ross back to Texas after a stint in the college ranks at Boise State. Ross has a history of turning programs into powerhouses and he’s hoping to do the same for a Red Oak squad that may have benefitted more than anyone from UIL Realignment. The Hawks the past few years have struggled mightily in one of the state’s toughest districts that featured Mansfield ISD, Lancaster and Waxahachie among others. Now the Hawks move to Division II and into a district where they should finish no worse than second place with all Dallas ISD schools. Expect the Hawks to battle with super talented South Oak Cliff for the district title in District 6-5A Division II.

Manvel: We all know what happened in the state title game to Manvel as they came literally one yard short of knocking off Highland Park after losing a double digit fourth quarter lead. Gone 49 seniors and 19 starters from that team and gone is Kirk Martin who left to take an assistant gig at Syracuse. Former defensive coordinator Kevin Hall takes over and will look to navigate Manvel through new waters with a very young team, the Mavericks have to deal with not only graduation losses but less depth as the opening of Shadow Creek High School will begin to cut the numbers at the lower levels. All isn’t doom and gloom though, the Mavericks were placed as one of the state’s largest Division II schools (they’d be Division I if not for the opt-ups) and they should have plenty of time to grow their young squad before the playoffs as District 11-5A Division I will likely come down to Manvel-Fort Bend Marshall showdown.

Brenham: The Cubs for the first time since 1997 will have someone other than Glen West on the sidelines as former Houston Stratford head coach Eliot Allen comes to town looking to take the Cubs back to elite status in Class 5A. Allen inherits a team that’s retooling with just nine returning starters total and is moving to a different district and region and that will be what deserves watching more than anything in 2018. Brenham for quite some time has been paired in Region III with generally Houston area squads and occasionally a team or two from Bryan-College Station, but this time the Cubs will head west to the Austin area for district play and once the playoffs get rolling they’ll head south as they are now in Region IV.