East Texas Coaching Carousel: Total of 18 New Head Football Coaches, Including 11 Rookies

There always seems to be quite a bit of coaching turnover each year in the high school football ranks, and 2013 is no different.

When the new season kicks off in August, there will be 17 new coaches in charge of programs across East Texas -- nine of which will be first-year head coaches.

And there were some big names to leave high-profile East Texas programs. Four former state-championship coaches either retired or took new jobs.

Longtime coach Jefferson coach Jerry Bennett retired after his second stint with the Bulldogs that lasted two years. In his first go-round at Jefferson from 1982-2000, Bennett won more than 100 games and captured the 1986 Class 3A state title.

Keith Gardner also retired after spending the previous eight seasons in Alto where he went 80-19 and won back-to-back Class A state championships in 2006 and 2007.

Dickey Meeks, a two-time state champion at Chapel Hill and Henderson, left Henderson after seven seasons to take over the Pittsburg program. And Bullard Brook Hill's Terry Pirtle took the head coaching job at Houston Second Baptist after four years with the Guard that included a state title in 2011 and runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010.

East Texas Football Coaching Changes

Class 4A

Marshall

New Coach -- Clint Harper

• Previous head coaching experience -- Leander (2011-12), 19-6.
• Replaces -- Alex Richters (3-17 from 2011-12).

Whitehouse

New Coach -- Adam Cook

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Randy McFarlin (59-43 from 2004-12).

Class 3A

Brownsboro

New Coach -- Jason Hooker

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Ty Thomison (6-14 from 2011-12).

Henderson

New Coach -- Phil Castles

• Previous head coaching experience -- head coach at Corsicana (2009-12), 30-19; head coach at Chapel Hill (2005-08), 24-20; head coach at Elysian Fields (2002-04), 28-9.
• Replaces -- Dickey Meeks (44-39 from 2006-12).

Huntington

New Coach -- Ryan Soderquist

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Todd Hopkins (4-36 from 2009-12).

Pittsburg

New Coach -- Dickey Meeks

• Previous head coaching experience -- Henderson (2006-12), 44-39; Mount Vernon (2000-05), 42-26; Pine Tree (1996-99), 15-26; Chapel Hill (1989-95), 47-31-4.
• Replaces: Robert Manley (40-28 from 2007-12).

Spring Hill

New Coach -- Mark Sartain

• Previous head coaching experience -- High school: White Oak (1995-2002), 43-41; Eustace (1989-91), 6-23-1; Cross Roads (1986-88), 17-11-2. College: Trinity Valley CC (2003-06), 17-25; East Texas Baptist (2007-12), 26-34.
• Replaces -- Bobby Chadwick (3-7 in 2012).

Class 2A

Elysian Fields

New Coach -- Scott Ford

• Previous head coaching experience -- Los Fresnos (2001-08), 65-19; Joshua (2009), 4-6; Nacogdoches (2010-11), 4-16; Hidalgo (2012), 7-4.
• Replaces -- Eric King (23-13 from 2010-12).

Eustace

New Coach -- Heath Ragle

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Brian Herman (15-8 from 2011-12).

Grand Saline

New Coach -- Michael Ridge

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Michael Ludlow (6-14 from 2011-12).

Jefferson

New Coach -- Derek Simmons

• Previous head coaching experience -- Ore City (2004-07), 5-33.
• Replaces -- Jerry Bennett (12-9 from 2011-12; 122-83-5 from 1982-2000).

New Boston

New Coach -- Jamey Thomas

• Previous head coaching experience -- Maud (2001-03), 10-16; Simms Bowie (2005-08), 21-22.
• Replaces -- Rick Barker (68-24 from 2005-12).

Queen City

New Coach -- Eric Droddy

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Buddy Ray (6-24 from 2010-12).

Class A

Alto

New Coach -- Paul Gould

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Keith Gardner (80-19 from 2005-12).

Cayuga

New Coach -- Russell Holden

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Greg Jenkins (21-13 from 2010-12).

New Coach -- Bill Jehling

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Danny Robey (3-17 from 2011-12).

New coach -- Shawn Brown.

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Jerry Richards (9-22 from 2010-12).

TAPPS

Bullard Brook Hill

New Coach -- Bobby Brasher

• Previous head coaching experience -- None.
• Replaces -- Terry Pirtle (40-13 from 2009-12).