Exceptional Children teacher and 2004 alumnus Ryan Horton has been promoted to head coach of the Chapel Hill High School Tigers football team after coaching the Tigers for the past decade; his most recent role with the team was head offensive coach.
Horton is taking the reins after Isaac Marsh, the previous head coach, stepped down at the end of the 2023-2024 football season after 26 seasons. Horton’s hiring was announced on February 2.
“Coach Horton will be a great fit for the role,” Marsh said. “He has a long history with the program: he played as quarterback for four years at Chapel Hill, earning a spot in our Hall of Fame, and went on to join our coaching staff after playing college football as a starting quarterback. Coach Horton has a great rapport with parents and players in our community, which makes him the perfect candidate for the job.”
The new head coach credits his predecessor with readying him to perform well in his role.
“Coach Marsh did a great job of preparing me to take this opportunity,” Horton said. “As the offensive head coach, I was actually doing some of the responsibilities of the head coach, which got me used to seeing the bigger picture of team coordination.”
One of Horton’s first plans is to allow team members more input regarding training.
“I make sure to listen to what the guys like and try to implement that at practice,” Horton said. “I let them express what they would like to have, like music during practice, and will accommodate those things in order to make the experience better for the team.”
Letting the team have more say in decisions will also facilitate team bonding, according to Horton.
“Building team relationships, both among the players and with coaches, is one of the most important aspects that I want to promote,” he said. “Letting them slightly change things to have a better time is a great way to do that.”
Junior Nathan Kenyon, a wide receiver and linebacker, anticipates Horton will be a great head coach.
“I’m excited for his career as the head coach to get into full swing,” Kenyon said. “I know that he can take the team to many good seasons.”
Horton also plans to give his assistant coaches more influence in the decision-making process.
“I definitely want to empower the other coaches,” Horton said. “By giving them more responsibilities, I can make sure I’m looking at the bigger picture of team organization, whether we need to focus on defense or offense, and other management.”
He hopes to lead the Tigers to deep playoff runs in the coming years.
“We have a large team, good participation, and many returning players,” Horton said. “Most players are really getting stronger in the weight room, and I think that all of these things are really good signs for the next few seasons. If we keep this up, I’m sure we can get well into the playoffs.”
Junior quarterback Jonah Berman is excited to play for his new coach.
“I trust Coach Horton to lead the team through the next season and many more,” Berman said.
