Category Archives: Coaches Project

Here is a list of Wyoming high schools that will have new head football coaches for the 2024 season. This post will be updated as necessary throughout the offseason as coaches leave or are hired:

Buffalo: Ross Walker will be the Bison’s new head coach, the Casper Star-Tribune posted on Twitter on June 4. He takes over for Rob Hammond, who resigned to take a coaching position in Washington. Hammond coached Buffalo for 12 seasons and led them to a state title in 2018.

Douglas: Drew Hodgs will take over as the Bearcats’ head coach in 2024, Wyopreps.com reported on April 4. Jay Rhoades, Douglas’ head coach since 2006, will make the transition to be Douglas’ activities director, replacing the retiring Doug Hughes. Rhoades helped guide Douglas to three championships and four runner-up finishes in 18 years, and his 136 victories had him third among Wyoming’s active coaches.

Dubois: Dan O’Brien, previously an assistant coach with the Rams, was hired as Dubois’ new head coach during the Feb. 20 meeting of the Fremont County School District No. 2 board meeting. He replaces coach David Trembly, who retired after leading the Rams for 26 years. His Rams won the 1A six-man title in 2012 and were runners-up two other times.

Jackson: Former Jackson assistant Keith Johnson has been promoted to the head coach position, the Jackson Hole News and Guide reported March 13. David White resigned after two years as head coach to take a new coaching job in Oklahoma, the News and Guide reported.

Kelly Walsh: Randy Roden will take over as the Trojans’ new head coach, the school announced on Twitter on Feb. 9. Roden has been the head basketball coach at Kelly Walsh and Natrona and also coached at Wind River. He replaces Aaron Makelky, who is not returning after five years as head coach, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.

Laramie: Jake Chick, previously an assistant with the Plainsmen, has been hired as Laramie’s next head coach, the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle reported on April 4. Former coach Paul Ronga resigned after three years as the Plainsmen’s head coach.

Moorcroft: Cameron Braden, a Moorcroft alumnus who has spent five years as a coach with the school’s high school and junior high programs, will be the new head coach. Braden confirmed his hiring via email with wyoming-football.com on June 27. Former coach Clayton McSpadden resigned after two years to take another teaching job out of the district. McSpadden confirmed the change via email to wyoming-football.com on March 22.

Pinedale: Former assistant Jesse Lake will be the Wranglers’ new head coach for 2024, AD Brian Brisko confirmed to wyoming-football.com via email on June 3. David Thrash, the Wranglers’ head coach the past two seasons, resigned to become an assistant principal and the high school athletic director in Pinedale, Thrash verified to wyoming-football.com via email on Feb. 25.

Rock Springs: Kasey Koepplin, recently the head coach at Cibola High School in Yuma, Arizona, was named as the Tigers’ next head coach, SweetwaterNow reported on March 15. Former coach Ted Holmstrom resigned; he coached the Tigers’ first two games but was suspended for the rest of the season, with assistant coach Levi Stephens handling head coaching duties for the remainder of the season.

Saratoga: Jared Mason, previously an assistant with the Panther program, will be Saratoga’s new head coach, AD Greg Bartlett said via message to wyoming-football.com on June 5. Todd Weber, who led the Panthers for the 2023 season, resigned to take a position closer to family, Bartlett said on March 23.

Southeast: Shawn Burkart, who has been with the Cyclones’ football coaching staff for more than two decades as an assistant, will be Southeast’s new head coach, AD Tim Williams said via email to wyoming-football.com on April 11. Longtime head coach Mark Bullington is retiring after 25 years as the Cyclones’ head coach. He won nine state championships in his head coaching tenure in Yoder.

Ten Sleep: Corey Rice will be the new head coach for the Pioneers, Ten Sleep Superintendent Annie Griffin said via email to wyoming-football.com on July 2. Rice previously worked with Ten Sleep’s middle school program and is an alumnus of the school. Former head coach Dan Cheatham has retired.

Worland: Worland’s new head coach for 2024 will be former Greybull and Green River head coach Marty Wrage, who was hired at the end of February. Wrage and Worland AD Aaron Abel confirmed the hiring via email to wyoming-football.com on March 15. Patrick Sweeney, the Warriors’ head coach for four seasons, was not retained.

Post last updated 4:25 p.m. MDT July 2, 2024.

–patrick

Boone Bowker, who has previously been an assistant coach with Thermopolis, will be the Bobcats’ new head football coach this fall.

Bowker confirmed his hiring via email this week with wyoming-football.com. Bowker said the hiring was finalized in April.

Bowker works at the school as a physical education teacher. A native of Big Piney, Bowker played football collegiately at Black Hills State. He was also the head football coach at Gordon-Rushville in Nebraska for three seasons, from the fall of 2018 to the fall of 2020.

He replaces Matt McPhie, who had coached the Bobcats for the previous seven seasons. Thermopolis was 20-40 over that span and had one playoff victory, in 2019.

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton, Glenrock, Wheatland, Guernsey, Rocky Mountain, Saratoga and Wright have also hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Tony Borton, a longtime assistant with the Wheatland football team, has been hired as the Bulldogs’ next head coach.

Borton’s hiring was confirmed during the Platte County School District No. 1 board meeting on Monday and confirmed via email Wednesday to wyoming-football.com by WHS Principal Josh Sandlian.

Borton has had two sons go through the program, and one son, Justis, completed his senior season at UW in 2020. Borton is a pastor at Wheatland Bible Church.

Statewide, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton, Glenrock, Guernsey, Rocky Mountain, Saratoga and Wright have also hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

The head coaches for both Wright and Guernsey, two Class 1A nine-man East programs, have been set for 2023.

Wright will have a familiar face coming back to the head coaching position, as Larry Yeradi will be the Panthers’ acting head coach this season. Yeradi was the Panthers’ coach from 1995-2021 and was an assistant coach on Adam Shankle’s staff last year. Shankle resigned to take an administrator position in Rock Springs.

Yeradi’s hiring was finalized on June 12 at the Campbell County School District No. 1 board meeting. Yeradi confirmed his hiring via email to wyoming-football.com.

Guernsey’s new head coach will be Neal Hughes. Hughes’ hiring was confirmed late last week by Guernsey activities director Jolyn Hillen.

Hughes is a Guernsey native and has worked as a pastor in the community. He replaces Curtis Cook, who resigned after seven years as head coach.

Statewide, Wheatland is also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton, Glenrock, Rocky Mountain and Saratoga have hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Todd Weber, the head coach of Saratoga’s junior high football program, will take over as the head coach for Saratoga High School.

Saratoga activities director Greg Bartlett confirmed the hiring with wyoming-football.com last week.

Weber was the Panthers’ junior high coach and was named the Wyoming Coaches Association junior high/middle school coach of the fall season in 2021.

He was also the former head coach at Worland, going 5-11 combined in 2015 and 2016. Before that, he was an assistant coach at Douglas.

He replaces Logan Wright, who resigned after five years as head coach.

Statewide, Wheatland, Guernsey and Wright are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton, Glenrock and Rocky Mountain have hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Zane Perez, an assistant coach with the Glenrock wrestling team, will be the Herders’ new head football coach.

Perez’s hiring was approved at the April 18 meeting of the Converse County School District No. 2 board, and he confirmed his hiring via email this week with wyoming-football.com.

Glenrock’s website listed him as an assistant wrestling coach this year.

He replaces Carl Federer, who was the Herders’ head coach for one season.

Statewide, Wheatland, Guernsey, Saratoga and Wright are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Campbell County, Rock Springs, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton and Rocky Mountain have hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Ted Holmstrom, whose previous head football coaching stops in the state took him to Lyman, Laramie and Riverside, will be the new head football coach at Rock Springs.

Rock Springs High School announced the hiring on its Facebook page on Wednesday.

Holmstrom was the head coach in Lyman for three years, from 2009-11, helping the Eagles ta state title game appearance in his final season. He also was the head coach at Laramie in 2012 and Riverside to start the 2013 season.

Since then, Holmstrom spent the 2015 season as the offensive coordinator at Vermilion Community College in Minnesota, the 2016-18 seasons as the head coach at Hancock Central High School in Michigan, and most recently, the head coach at Mobridge-Pollock High School in South Dakota for one season.

Prior to coming to Laramie, he coached at the high school and college levels in Michigan.

He replaces Mark Lenhardt, who left Rock Springs to take the head coach’s spot at Riverton.

Statewide, Glenrock, Wheatland, Guernsey, Saratoga and Wright are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Campbell County, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton and Rocky Mountain have hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick

Post updated at 10:15 p.m. May 10 to correct an error in the coaching history.

Campbell County’s new head football coach is a Gillette native and Camel alumnus.

Orah Garst, who comes to Gillette off of four years at the University of Nebraska and 14 years of college coaching and recruiting, will be the Camels’ new head coach this season.

The Gillette News-Record first reported Garst’s hiring on Thursday.

Garst’s resume includes four years with the Cornhuskers, where he led recruiting efforts via graphic design and was also a coach on offense. Prior to that, he was at both Baylor and TCU in similar roles and also spent a year at Southwestern Assemblies of God University coaching linebackers and leading recruiting efforts.

His longest coaching stint was at Trinity Bible College, where he spent 2009 to 2015 as a defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach.

He graduated from Campbell County High School in 2006. His hiring was approved Tuesday by the Campbell County School District No. 1 school board.

Statewide, Rock Springs, Glenrock, Wheatland, Guernsey, Saratoga and Wright are also searching for a head coach for next season. Meanwhile, Evanston, Green River, Lander, Riverton and Rocky Mountain have hired a new head coach for the 2023 season. If you know of other head coaching changes in the state, please email me at pschmiedt@yahoo.com.

–patrick