NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KETK) – Nacogdoches ISD Athletics has chosen a new football head coach and athletic director.

The Nacogdoches Dragons will be headed by Poteet head coach Darby House. He will replace Darren Allman, who announced that he would be stepping down from the head coach position earlier this year.

House has coached at Poteet since 2018, and was named one of Dave Campbell’s 40 under 40 head coaches in 2022.

“We wanted someone with a track record of building a successful program and that’s certainly the case with Coach House,” said Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo. “He took over a program in Poteet that was struggling and turned it around by establishing a strong foundation. Nacogdoches will be a great fit for Coach House.”

“At Poteet, House turned around a team that was 0-10 in 2018, winning 10 games in 2021 and earning the school’s first playoff victory since 1958 while also clinching its first district title since 2005,” according to a release from Nacogdoches ISD. “In 2022, the Aggies finished 6-5, advancing to the playoffs for a fourth straight season with House at the helm.”

House expects to begin work at NISD next week while he and his family relocate.

“I’m grateful to Dr. Trujillo for this opportunity,” House said. “There’s tremendous promise here, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Before his time at Poteet, House was assistant coach from 2013 to 2016 in Beeville, where he helped out with basketball and baseball programs while performing passing game coordinator duties for the football team.

House also founded the South Texas Coaches Association while at Poteet. The organization hosts all-star games for volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and football. Last year, the South Texas Coaches Association provided scholarships totaling $17,000.