With the 2026 Michigan high school football season a little more than a month away, now’s the perfect time to revisit this offseason’s coaching carousel.

Plenty of metro Detroit programs made changes after the 2025 season ended in November. Here’s a look at most of the schools with new head coaches.

Blue Water Area Conference

Macomb Lutheran North promoted assistant Brad Morris to head coach after Garrett Wenzelburger stepped down to become the school’s principal.

Catholic League

Detroit Loyola picked boys basketball coach and principal Dennis Morey II to replace Tony Blankenship, who led the football program for one season.

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett hired Vincent Phillips Jr. to replace former Michigan State and NFL receiver Andre Rison. Phillips spent the past seven seasons as head coach at St. Clair Shores South Lake and Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse.

Charter School Conference

Hamtramck is still looking for a head coach.

Detroit Public School League

Former Lincoln Park assistant Dennis-Denero McDonald takes over at Detroit Osborn.

Detroit University Prep Math and Science has not publicly named a replacement for Calvin Griggs, who left after one season to take over Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse.

Downriver League

Michael Pintar replaces David Mifsud at Brownstown Woodhaven after Mifsud left for Temperance Bedford.

After being let go by Westland John Glenn, Milton Jones lands at Southgate Anderson. He replaces Bobby Marten, who coached the Titans for three seasons.

Independent

Marlon Nabors replaces John Pittman at Mount Clemens after Pittman spent one season leading the Bathers.

Pontiac Notre Dame Prep promoted assistant Jason Whalen after state-championship coach Pat Fox left for South Marion in Florida following 12 seasons with the Fighting Irish.

Kensington Lakes Activities Association

Dearborn hired alumnus Michael Bustamante to replace Matt Giarmo, who stepped down midway through the 2025 season. Bustamante previously worked under former coach Alex Grignon.

Assistant Osama Abulhassan takes over at Dearborn Fordson after Mohamed Chaytou coached the Tractors for one season.

Hass Beydoun left his seat on the Board of Education to become the new coach at Dearborn Heights Crestwood. He replaces Mike Grucz.

Novipromoted assistant Logan Pawloski after Jim Sparks stepped down to move out of state.

Westland John Glenn hired former Romulus coach Charles Searcy to replace Milton Jones, who was let go after two seasons.

Lakes Valley Conference

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s assistant Kason Dickerson replaces Jason Albrecht at Farmington. Albrecht coached the Falcons for five seasons.

South Lyon East promoted assistant Mark Nowicki after Jacob Topp left for a job out of state. Nowicki spent four of Topp’s five seasons on staff.

White Lake Lakeland hired Salem assistant Chris Scheffer to replace Jim Calhoun, who retired after 38 years of coaching, including the past five leading the Eagles.

Macomb Area Conference

Edwin McDonald replaces Aaron Davis at Eastpointe after Davis stepped down following two seasons.

Calvin Griggs left Detroit University Prep Math and Science to replace Vincent Phillips Jr. at Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse. Phillips is now at University Liggett.

Macomb L’Anse Creuse North, Sterling Heights Stevenson and Warren Cousino essentially swapped coaches. Brandon Gennette left Cousino for Stevenson, replacing Justin Newcomb. Brent Widdows left LCN for Cousino, while Newcomb takes over at LCN.

Madison Heights Lamphere coach Ray Ostrowski stepped down to take a teaching job at St. Clair Shores Lakeview. The Rams have promoted assistant Hannibal Roda.

St. Clair Shores Lake Shore hired longtime youth coach Tony Savage to replace James Rogers, who left after two seasons to become an assistant at Novi Detroit Catholic Central.

Roland Thomas replaces longtime Warren Mott coach Tom Milanov.

Oakland Activities Association

Former Farmington and Bowling Green linebacker Isaiah Gourdine replaces Bob Meyer at Auburn Hills Avondale. Meyer left after three seasons to take over Waterford Kettering, where Brian Barnes stepped down during the 2025 season to become athletic director at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.

Former Taylor assistant Dan Earls replaces Casey Humes at Berkley after Humes stepped down following two seasons.

Southfield A&T hired Antwon Robinson to replace former Super Bowl champion Keith McKenzie. McKenzie left after two seasons to become Farmington’s defensive coordinator.

Tra’Jan Seay replaces Chris Fahr at Waterford Mott after Fahr stepped down following 14 seasons.

Western Wayne Athletic Conference

Melvindale hired Chris Merrell, a behavior interventionist at Strong Middle School, to replace James Hill Jr., who coached the Cardinals for two seasons.

Former Ann Arbor Huron coach Antaiwn Mack replaces Charles Searcy at Romulus after Searcy left for Westland John Glenn following seven seasons with the Eagles.

Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life and the Detroit Free Press. Follow him on X at @folsomwrites.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tracking every metro Detroit high school football coaching change