A second coach of an Aurora prep football coach has stepped down in the weeks following the conclusion of the season, as Kyle Reese has left Overland.
Reese — who finished with a 16-21 record in four seasons — told the Sentinel he informed the team of his decision earlier this week. It ended his stint of four seasons after he was hired in January of 2020 after serving as an assistant coach on the staffs of both Cherry Creek and Valor Christian.
He said he still plans to continue working with Athletics & Beyond, a non-profit in Denver.
The Trailblazers finished 1-6 in Reese’s first season after he took over for DaVaughn Thornton Sr. (who held the role on an interim basis during the 2019 campaign) in a 2020 season that was abbreviated by the coronavirus pandemic. They were 5-5 in each of the past three seasons, including the recently completed 2023 campaign.
Thornton Sr. is the other local coach to depart following the 2023 season as he stepped down at Vista PEAK Prep.
Overland athletic director Domonic Martinez said the job would be posted on the Cherry Creek Schools website, possibly on Friday. Martinez, who is in his first year as the school’s AD, will have a big hire to make as the program begins to prepare for next fall.
Two of the four All-Metro North first team selections from the 2023 season expect to be back in running back Jarrius Ward and two-way lineman Silver Velasquez.
The next coach hired will be the sixth since Tony Manfredi — who has been inducted into multiple athletic Hall of Fames — retired in 2010. Ron Woolfork succeeded Manfredi and was followed by Seth Replogle, who was followed by Steve Sewell, Thornton Sr. and finally Reese.
Ken Milano was the original coach when the school opened in 1978 and the interim job in 1981 went to Manfredi, who would lead the program to an 198-120 record in his tenure with three trips to the state championship game, including a victory in 1993.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
