A busy day of coaching hires across the state ramped up even more in the span of about five minutes on Monday when DFW powerhouse Denton Guyer lost a pair of valuable assistant coaches to head coaching positions.

Offensive coordinator Jordan Johnson was named the next head football coach at Friendswood High, while linebackers coach Mike Loveless was named the new AD/HC at Italy High School.

Johnson, who will replace Robert Koopman, has been the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats the past three seasons, helping the Wildcats to a state title game appearance in 2021. He spent the previous six seasons coaching wide receivers at Rockwall.

Coach Johnson played his college football at LSU and is a graduate of Friendswood High School.

“It’s really special to me to get to come home where so many people poured into my life and now I get to pay it back and do the same thing," he said. "It’s a dream come true."

Expect Friendswood to run an up-tempo scheme that won’t necessarily be pass heavy as Johnson’s offenses have been known to feature the run when they have the personnel to get the job done; but they will definitely play with a fast pace.

Loveless takes over for Lee Wilkins, who resigned his post after just one season leading the Gladiators.

An Italy graduate, Loveless has six seasons of head coaching experience as he spent 2001-2006 leading the program at Kerens where he posted an impressive 48-24 record and led the Bobcats to the regional semifinals three times.

He’s a coaching veteran who has worked at not only Denton Guyer, but he’s also spent time as an assistant coach at Southlake Carroll as well. He takes over an Italy squad that stumbled down the stretch of the season a year ago losing their last three games and finishing at 4-6 and outside of the playoffs.