Klein Forest, 2 others have new coach
Three Houston-area high schools hired new football coaches this week.
Klein Forest announced Willis defensive coordinator Darrick Vaughn as its next head coach and athletic coordinator Wednesday afternoon.
Vaughn, 44, also served as the assistant head coach and led the boys track and field program at Willis before taking the job with the Golden Eagles.
“This past year has been a blessing to help me grow as an educator and coach,” Vaughn wrote in a Twitter post. “I am very thankful to all Willis school personnel, parents and players for allowing me to be a part of the Willis community. I am forever grateful for the opportunity.”
Vaughn is an Aldine Nimitz graduate and played football collegiately at Texas State. He then continued on to the NFL, where he spent time with the Atlanta Falcons (200001) and the Texans (2003). He was a second-team AllPro selection as a kick returner during his rookie season in 2000 after the Falcons drafted him in the seventh round.
Vaughn takes over a Klein Forest program that has made significant strides recently. The Golden Eagles are coming off back-to-back 5-5 campaigns under former coach Johnathan Wilson, who left to become an assistant at Stephen F. Austin. Before that, the program went 12-75 from 2013 to 2020. The last winning season for Klein Forest came in 2011 at 6-4. The team has not made the playoffs since 2009.
Fort Bend Austin defensive coordinator Trey Herrmann was promoted to head coach Thursday, taking the reins of a program for the fifth time.
Herrmann served as the defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coordinator at Austin last season under Mike Arogbonlo, who left after four seasons to join the staff at Duncanville.
Herrmann was the head coach at Bellaire (2009-11), Alvin (2012), Katy Taylor (2014-17) and Danbury (2019-21) before joining Austin. He has a 52-66 record with five playoff berths in 12 years as a head coach.
Herrmann, a UH graduate, started his career as the running backs coach at his alma mater, Mayde Creek, from 2003-05. He held the same position at Seven Lakes for two years before joining Bellaire as the defensive coordinator in 2008. He became the Cardinals’ head coach one year later.
Austin went 2-8 last season with an 0-8 record in District 20-6A action. The Bulldogs have made the playoffs just four times since 1996, the most recent appearance coming in 2013.
Cedric Allen, who was announced as Westside’s next head football coach and athletic coordinator Thursday, was assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Ridge Point under head coach Rick LaFavers.
“I am really grateful and thankful to be new head football coach at Westside High School,” Allen, who was assistant head coach at Ridge Point, said in a Twitter post. “Rick LaFavers, I love you, brother. No words can express our friendship. Thank you for everything. Ridge Point, I love you all and thank you.”
Allen was a cornerback at TCU from 1993-96, playing alongside LaFavers for three of those seasons. Allen was also the defensive coordinator under LaFavers for five seasons at Lamar Consolidated before the move to Ridge Point in 2020.
Westside finished last season with a 4-7 record and took third place in District 18-6A with a 4-2 mark. The Wolves have made the playoffs in each of the past 12 seasons.