New Caney ISD on Friday morning announced the hiring of Lake Belton head football coach Brian Cope as the second-ever head football coach at New Caney West Fork High School. Cope replaces Dougald McDougald who opened the West Fork program in 2023 and guided the Gators through their first two varsity seasons.

Cope has experience with young programs as he started up the athletic program at Lake Belton High School in 2020. After playing a JV schedule in that season, Lake Belton went unbeaten playing an outlaw schedule in 2021 and then Cope led the Broncos to four straight playoff appearances from 2022-2025 posting a 37-16 overall record as a head coach.

“West Fork has everything I’m looking for, great administration on campus and in the athletic department, talent and hungry to win, success at the sub-varsity level. I’m a Houston guy and I felt like the timing was right to get back home to Houston. It’s a great opportunity and I can’t wait to meet the kids later today,” said Cope.

Prior to starting up the Lake Belton program Cope spent time as the offensive coordinator at Belton High and A&M Consolidated and early in his career he was an assistant coach at Cypress Woods and Spring.

Cope says the bad weather delayed things a bit, but overall he was impressed with what WFHS and NCISD brought to the table, “The hiring process was great, everything was efficient and professional. I got to look at the facilities on campus and Randall Reed Stadium, we are getting a new 120-yard pavilion on campus and the puzzle pieces can come together quickly. I’ve built a program from the ground-up before, I’m a builder by nature and although this isn’t quite ground up, there’s still fresh paint here and that excited me.”

Cope takes over a New Caney West Fork program that posted a 4-6 record last year and was competitive in the playoff race until the end of the season in 8-5A Division II.

Lake Belton, is making the move to Class 6A in Monday’s UIL Realignment, but the opening at LBHS will be one of the more attractive job openings in Central Texas. Cope says he thinks great things lie ahead for Lake Belton and he says the move is bittersweet.

“Belton ISD gave me my shot to be a head football coach and campus coordinator and we’ve had a lot of success. We tried to build a community from Day 1 and these kids and coaches always gave max effort and I’m grateful for the chance here, but I’m so excited and looking forward to chomping the competition with the West Fork Gators.”