Prieto named Dayton Broncos Head Coach
New Dayton Bronco Head Football Coach Jerry Prieto and family visit with DISD Trustee Linda Harris following his hiring on Tuesday night. The Vindicator | Russell Payne
DAYTON — There was anticipation around town this week as the Bronco faithful awaited the naming of their new head football coach.
The Broncos' new leader will be Jerry Prieto, who was brought in following the unexpected departure of Blake Ware earlier this year.
Prieto was officially named at a special meeting of the DISD Board of Trustees on Tuesday night.
"At every stage of the interview process we went through, we were extremely impressed with Coach Prieto," said Dayton ISD Athletic and Fine Arts Director Geoff McCracken. "We're excited about the opportunity and the opportunity we have here."
Prieto may be a familiar name, as he previously coached the Crosby Cougars. During that tenure, he only took Crosby to a state championship game and a state semi-final appearance.
Now, the purple and white will look to Jerry Prieto to lead the way, with high hopes that he can replicate some of his past successes on the gridiron.
He comes to Dayton with 19 years of coaching experience and five as a head coach, where he mustered a record of 42-22 in those seasons, with a 10-4 record in the postseason. Last season, he coached Lake Worth High School and led them to a bi-district appearance.
He plans to get to work Monday morning and looks forward to meeting his players and building relationships.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the kids and meeting the coaching staff and getting to know the community and everything about Dayton," Prieto said.
As for his former team, the Broncos will meet with Crosby coming out of the gate in 2024, and Prieto is looking forward to getting to work.
"We're going to prepare for our week one opponent just like we would for our week eight opponent or our week 10 opponent. I don't feel like you ever disrespect any opponent, and we treat everyone like we are preparing for a state championship game," Prieto said.
In 2021, he was named the Touchdown Club of Houston Coach of the Year.
In 2020, he was named All-Greater Houston Coach of the Year by the Houston Chronicle, Co-Coach of the Year by Vype, and was a finalist for Coach of the Year by the Touchdown Club.
He is married to Julie, and they have two sons, Jerry Jr. and Mason. The family is excited about the opportunity to join the Dayton community.