Belton ISD Names Head Coaches at Belton and Lake Belton

Belton ISD announced coaching hires at both Belton High and Lake Belton High School, which opens in August and will begin varsity football in 2022. Belton High brings in Fort Bend Ridge Point head coach Brett Sniffin to lead the Tigers. In eight years at Ridge Point, Sniffin had an impressive 75-22 record with his best years being a 12-1 mark in 2014 and an 11-4 record in 2015 in which he led the Panthers to the state semifinals. Lake Belton, which is expected to be a 4A-Division I program when they start varsity football, hired Belton offensive coordinator Brian Cope. Cope, who prior to his time in Belton was the offensive coordinator at A&M Consolidated, will be in his first head coaching gig.

Tyler Lee Looking to Name This Week

After their choice for the vacant head coaching position pulled his name out of the running last week, Tyler ISD has zeroed in on a candidate that’s currently a head coach in DFW to take the job at Tyler Lee. As of Tuesday night, that head coach has not accepted the position, so it’s not yet clear if things will be nailed down in time for TISD to name the new HC at its Thursday board meeting.

Another Duncanville Assistant Gets a Head Coaching Gig

Another Duncanville defensive assistant coach is departing to take over as a head coach. This time, defensive coordinator John Towels was named head coach at Clear Brook on Monday. Towels, who has been Duncanville’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons, was a head coach at Dallas Lincoln High and posted an 11-10 record in two seasons leading the Tigers. Towels is the second Duncanville assistant coach to leave for a head coaching opening, joining LB coach Quincy Stewart, who was hired earlier this month at San Antonio Sam Houston.

New Caney Search Heating Up

New Caney, which is looking to replace Brady Pennington, who retired at the end of the season, interviewed a group of candidates last week that included a Houston area coordinator and a coordinator from Central Texas. More candidates are being brought in this week, including a current head coach from East Texas. The job is still posted leaving the door open for a late candidate who might gather some interest and jump in late for one of the more coveted jobs that’s open in Houston.

Jimmie Mitchell Departs Manor for Edna

Manor head coach Jimmie Mitchell announced that he was leaving to take over at Class 3A-Division I Edna down on the Texas coast. Mitchell has been at Manor the past four seasons and led the Mustangs to the 5A-Division I regional finals in 2019 and his squad earned a playoff victory in 2018. Mitchell has an overall record of 119-86 with stints at Sinton, Sealy, Beeville Jones and Manor. Mitchell’s departure from Manor opens up what many view as a very attractive job in the Austin area. Expect Manor to get a lot of interest once the job is posted.

San Antonio Highlands Names Chris Castillo

Chris Castillo was named new head coach at San Antonio Highlands on Tuesday. Castillo spent last year as an assistant at San Antonio Jay. Before that, he was a head coach at Dallas Sunset from 2016-2018. Castillo is a native of Waco and a graduate of University High School.

Jon Edwards Resigns at Bastrop Cedar Creek

In a bit of a surprise move late last week, Bastrop native and Bastrop Cedar Creek head coach Jon Edwards resigned his post, leaving Bastrop Cedar Creek open. Edwards led Cedar Creek to its only playoff appearance in school history in 2015 and a 5-5 mark in 2019, its first non-losing season in school history. In its first three years of being open between 2012 and 2014, CCHS won just three games total. Edwards led CCHS to four wins in 2015 and 2018 and then five in 2019.

Joe Drennon Leaves Hallsville for Grand Saline

After just three seasons in Hallsville, Joe Drennon leaves the 5A-Division II program for Class 3A-Division II Grand Saline. Drennon spent three seasons in Hallsville posting a 7-23 record, but his overall record is 125-100 in 20 seasons as a head coach at Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, Mildred and Mineola. He led Mineola to the 2016 3A-Division I state championship. He takes over a Grand Saline program fresh off consecutive 7-4 seasons.

Hubbard and Moody Updates

Hubbard is starting up interviews for the head football coach vacancy this week and the district is targeting a hire to be made at the February board meeting. Moody has already started up interviews. They have two special board meetings called for February 3 and February 5. The district is hoping they will have a candidate to present to the board at one of those meetings.

UIL Realignment Podcast

Don’t forget, next week we’ll have a special UIL Realignment Preview Edition of the Tep And Stepp Podcast as the DCTF crew gets you geared up for UIL Realignment on February 3!

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It’s officially clinic season in the state of Texas and if you have coaching clinic information that we are missing below by all means send it our way! You can e-mail it to me at matt.stepp@texasfootball.com or reach out to me on twitter @Matt_Stepp817.

January 23-24: Golden Triangle Clinic, Beaumont

January 24-26: DFW Clinic, Grapevine

January 24-26: City of Palms Clinic, McAllen

February 7-9: Lone Star Clinic, College Station

February 12: 1st 2020 NTFCA Coaches' Clinic, North Richland Hills

February 14: Hill Country Clinic, Fredericksburg

February 14-15: South Plains Clinic, Lubbock

February 19: 2nd 2020 NTFCA Coaches' Clinic, Fort Worth

February 21-22: Central Texas Clinic, Waco

February 22: Highway 5 Clinic, Melissa

February 26: 3rd 2020 NTFCA Coaches' Clinic, Denton

March 4: 4th 2020 NTFCA Coaches' Clinic, Dallas

May 1-2: El Paso Football Clinic, El Paso

May 15-16: I-45 Clinic, The Woodlands

June 11-13: Angelo Football Clinic, San Angelo

July 19-21: 2020 THSCA Coaches Convention & Coaching School, San Antonio

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Matt Stepp is the Texas High School Football Inside for Dave Campbell’s Texas Football. Find him on Twitter: @Matt_Stepp817.