2022-23 Oklahoma high school football coaching carousel: News on latest coaching changes
With the Oklahoma high school football postseason ending, it’s time for the coaching carousel to start spinning again.
The Oklahoman has created this coaching carousel tracker for keeping up with hires and departures in the Oklahoma City metro and beyond. This will be updated as news is announced.
May 30: John Marshall introduces Malcolm Mack as interim coach
Malcolm Mack is the new interim head coach of John Marshall’s football program, Oklahoma City Public Schools announced in a news release.
He follows Chris Berus, who led the Bears for one season.
Mack was Millwood’s defensive coordinator for 15 years. Edmond North was his last stop before Marshall.
May 9: Luther announces Brad Robertson as head coach
Assistant football coach Brad Robertson has been promoted within Luther’s high school football staff.
Luther Public Schools has announced Robertson as the new head coach. He succeeds Shawn Meek, who has accepted a position as director of instruction at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.
May 8: J.D. Runnels announces he’s coaching Western Heights
Western Heights could get a boost from the leadership of a former NFL player.
J.D. Runnels, the former OU fullback who was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2006, announced May 8 that he is the Jets’ new coach. Runnels, a Carl Albert graduate, went to the Super Bowl with the Bears in 2007. He took up personal training after his professional career.
Runnels shared the news about his coaching opportunity in a Twitter video, using the hashtag “SoaringToNewHeights.”
He looks to restore a program that has faced challenges in recent seasons. The Jets went winless the past two years and had to forfeit several games in 2021. Under coach Tim McCarty, Western Heights competed on an independent schedule during the past season. The Jets faced opponents ranging from Class 6A to A.
May 4: Douglass announces hire of Damon Turner
Edmond Santa Fe assistant coach Damon Turner is stepping into a head coaching role.
Oklahoma City Public Schools announced in a May 4 press release that Turner has been hired to lead the Douglass High School football program. He succeeds Derrick Adams, who coached the Class 3A Trojans for three seasons.
A Carl Albert graduate, Turner played college football at the University of Wyoming. At Edmond Santa Fe, he coached running backs.
Turner takes over a Douglass program that went 2-8 during the past season.
“We will build a program that brings back the pride of the East Side through our team core values of ‘Commitment, Accountability, Discipline, Effort and Sacrifice,’” Turner said in a press release.
April 12: Putnam West promotes Gregory Johnson
Gregory Johnson brings a wealth of coaching experience to Putnam West.
Putnam City Schools announced April 12 that Johnson, the Patriots’ defensive coordinator last season, has been promoted to head coach. He follows Willis Alexander, who accepted the head coaching job at Putnam City, also known as Putnam City Original (PCO).
Johnson, a Northwestern Oklahoma State University alumnus from Watonga, has compiled several accolades throughout his coaching career. While leading Langston University’s program, he was a three-time Central State Football League Coach of the Year. Langston has inducted him into its Athletic Hall of Fame. He has also coached at Jackson State and Prairie View A&M.
Johnson is taking over a Class 6A-II Putnam West program that went 3-7 during the past season.
April 5: Alexander headed to Putnam City
Willis Alexander is moving to a different football program in the same school district.
Alexander, who coached at Putnam West during the past season, is the new head coach at Putnam City, a representative of Putnam City Schools confirmed Wednesday. He will succeed Carter Whitson, who filled the coaching vacancy at Edmond North after three seasons with the Pirates.
Putnam West had three consecutive winless seasons before the arrival of Alexander, who led the Patriots to a 3-7 record. He takes over a Putnam City program that went 4-7 under Whitson last fall.
Alexander’s other previous coaching stops include Mount St. Mary, Douglass and John Marshall.
April 3: Shawnee hires Del City assistant Jason Madonna
After six seasons as a Del City assistant, Jason Madonna is a head coach again.
Shawnee’s school board approved the hire of Madonna as high school football coach Monday night. He will succeed Jason Sexton, who led the Wolves for three seasons.
Madonna is no stranger to the Shawnee community – he was the head coach at nearby Bethel before joining Del City. Madonna was also previously an assistant at Midwest City.
During the past season, Del City went 9-3 and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals with Madonna as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator. Next, he looks to turn around a Class 5A Shawnee team that went 0-10 last year.
March 9: Edmond North announces hire of Carter Whitson
After three seasons as Putnam City’s head football coach, Carter Whitson has accepted the same position at Edmond North.
Edmond North Athletics announced Whitson’s hire March 9. He succeeds Tanner Roof, who led the Huskies for six seasons before leaving for Oklahoma Christian School.
Whitson, who played at OU and UCO, coached in Indiana before his time at Putnam City. He was the senior director of football recruiting at Indiana University and then led Martinsville, an Indiana high school football program.
Martinsville and Putnam City each went 1-19 through two seasons before Whitson arrived. In Martinsville, he transformed the program into the second-ranked team in its classification.
Putnam City went 4-7 in Class 6A-II during the past season, and senior defensive end Taje McCoy was The Oklahoman’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, Roof and the Huskies finished 3-8 in Class 6A-I.
Feb. 16: Altus hires Jeremy Reed
Jeremy Reed is heading back to Altus as the high school football coach.
Altus Public Schools announced Thursday on Facebook that the school board has approved the hire of Reed, who led the Bulldogs to a Class 5A state title in 2015. He will succeed Dusty Davis.
Reed, from Marietta, received The Oklahoman’s All-State Football Coach of the Year honors after guiding the Bulldogs to their first state championship since 1971. Before his hire, Altus went 3-7 three seasons in a row. The Bulldogs were 8-3 in his first season and 13-1 the next year. Reed then coached at Yukon, and he also had stints in Arkansas and Kansas, including experience at the college level.
Reed is striving to turn around the Altus program again. The Bulldogs went 0-10 during the past season.
Feb. 9: Brent Barnes lands Yukon head coaching job
After moving to Arizona in 2018 to lead the Scottsdale Chapparal football program, Brent Barnes is returning to Oklahoma.
Yukon Public Schools has announced the hire of Barnes as the head football coach. The former Norman North coach replaces Marshall Hahn, who helmed the Millers’ football program for two seasons after getting promoted from wide receivers coach.
Barnes’ resume includes four state titles and three runner-up finishes.
And he has been part of the Millers’ program before, gaining experience at Yukon and Tulsa Union before coaching at Norman North.
He will look to turn around a Yukon program that went 1-9 in 2022.
Feb. 8: OCS announces hire of Tanner Roof
Tanner Roof is staying in Edmond, but he’s moving to a different school.
After coaching Edmond North’s football team for six seasons, Roof has been hired as Oklahoma Christian School’s new football coach. He is following Brooks Stephenson, who left to pursue an opportunity in ministry.
During the past season, the Huskies went 3-8 with a playoff appearance in a challenging Class 6A-I schedule, an improvement from the 1-9 record they had the year before Roof arrived. This time, Roof is stepping into a winning program. The Saints went 9-3 overall and 6-1 in district play.
Before coaching at Edmond North, Roof was the offensive coordinator at Edmond Memorial.
Jan. 23: Purcell announces Aaron Dillard as football coach
Aaron Dillard is returning to his high school alma mater.
Purcell Public Schools announced in a news release that Dillard, a 2005 Purcell graduate, is the Dragons’ new head football coach. He arrives from Piedmont, where he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach over the past four years. Dillard is a 13th-year coach who also has experience at Lexington and Yukon.
The Class 2A Dragons went 5-5 in 2022 under coach Tracy Scott. Dillard ran the flexbone offense for a Piedmont team that went 7-5 and reached the 2022 Class 5A quarterfinals.
Jan. 20: Enid coach Rashaun Woods resigns to take job in Texas
According to a report from the Enid News & Eagle, former Oklahoma State football All-American Rashaun Woods resigned from Enid High School to accept the head coaching job at John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas.
“I am thankful for the opportunity to work and coach for such a wonderful district and community here at Enid Public Schools,” Woods said in a release from Enid Public Schools. “The administration, faculty, and parents have been nothing but supportive in its football program and coaching staff. The friendships that my family and I have made over the course of my time here will be the main thing above all that I will remember. I have given my very best to these young men and I pray it leads to future success.”
Woods went 11-32 in four seasons.
Offensive coordinator Cameron Conder will take over Enid's program as interim coach, the News & Eagle reported.
Dec. 17: Locust Grove announces hire of Hennessey coach Paul Hix
Paul Hix is headed to Locust Grove.
Locust Grove Public Schools announced on Facebook that Hix, who was Hennessey’s head coach for the past four seasons, is the Pirates’ new football coach.
Hix’s son Titan was a standout freshman quarterback for Hennessey this past season. The Eagles went 7-4 with an appearance in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Class 3A Locust Grove looks to bounce back from a 2-8 season.
Dec. 13: Wewoka announces Kaden Boswell as new coach
Wewoka High School has named alumnus Kaden Boswell as its new head football coach.
The Class A Tigers went 2-7 under former coach Bryan Couch this year. Couch spent one season in this role.
“Truly blessed for this amazing opportunity to be the next head coach at my alma mater!!” Boswell said on Twitter. “Let’s get to work Wewoka!!”
Boswell played college football at East Central University.
Nov. 30: Brooks Stephenson announces he is leaving OCS
After three seasons as the head high school football coach at Oklahoma Christian School, Brooks Stephenson is leaving. Stephenson announced on Twitter he is pursuing an opportunity in ministry. This season, he guided the Class 2A Saints to a 9-3 overall record, a 6-1 district record and a second-round playoff appearance. In 2020 and 2021, with Stephenson’s leadership, OCS went undefeated in district play.
Other schools with head football coach openings
Boise City (former coach Colby Fangman)
Coalgate (Nathan Hill)
Comanche (Casy Rowell)
Drumright (Jason Bray)
Duncan (J.T. Cobble)
Guymon (Len Halliburton)
Healdton (Taner Richardson)
Sallisaw (Mark Hutson)
Warner (Cooper Mitchell)
Do you have an Oklahoma high school football coaching update? Contact Hallie Hart at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter @halliehart.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school football coaching carousel 2022-23
