John Holcomb Breaks Down The Coaching Shakeups In Oklahoma High School Football

In a flurry of recent moves, several prominent Oklahoma high school football programs have seen significant changes in their coaching staffs.

Graham Leaves Owasso

One of the most notable changes involves the swap of head coaches between Owasso and Union. Antonio Graham, who had been the head coach at Owasso for just one year, is now taking over the reins at Union.

Graham previously served as an assistant under Bill Blankenship at Union and Owasso, before Blankenship stepped away last year to allow Graham to become the Owasso head coach.

Why Did Antonio Graham Leave For Union?

As for the situation involving Owasso and Union, new Redhawks head coach Antonio Graham chose to take over at Union for a variety of reasons. 

Graham and his family continue to live in the school district, in fact just down the road from former Union head coach Kirk Fridrich, and Graham’s wife has been an administrator at a Union elementary school for a while. Graham played at Union, winning a state championship under Bill Blankenship in 2005.

1. Union Head Football Coach Kirk Fridrich Resigns From Position

Blankenship retired from Owasso last year, welcoming Graham as the new head coach of the Rams. Now Blankenship returns to the Owasso sidelines as head coach, helping stabilize a program that went undefeated in the regular season, losing by one point to Bixby in the 6A-1 title game.

Blankenship Returns to Owasso

Now, Blankenship, a coaching icon with six state championships to his name, is returning to Owasso after a year of retirement.

Holcomb says that Blankenship's return is about making sure you have your staff members and keeping momentum in the program in place, drawing a parallel to the stability often sought in college football programs.

1. Owasso Rehires Bill Blankenship As Head Coach Following Graham's Resignation

Jenks Sees New Leadership

Another significant change occurred at Jenks, where Adam Gaylor is taking over as head coach, replacing Keith Riggs. Riggs had a successful tenure at Jenks, following in the footsteps of the legendary Allan Trimble. Gaylor, who previously served as Jenks' defensive coordinator, is now tasked with maintaining the program's high standards.

1. New Jenks Head Coach Adam Gaylor Introduces Himself

Broken Arrow Hires Travis Hill

The coaching carousel also reached Broken Arrow, as the program has hired Travis Hill as its new head coach. Hill comes from Muskogee, where he led the team to a state championship last year and came within a missed field goal of another title. Holcomb said Hill's previous success and ability to unify the team will be crucial for Broken Arrow, which is the largest high school in the state and carries high expectations.

With these coaching changes coinciding with some of the most exciting playoff and championship finishes in recent memory, the upcoming high school football season in Oklahoma promises to be filled with intrigue and anticipation.

1. Broken Arrow Announces Travis Hill As Next Head Football Coach