After one of the biggest football turnarounds in school history, the Verrado Vipers are getting a new leader—and he’s no stranger to building winning programs from the ground up.

As of April 9, 2025, Brett Davis has been named the new head football coach at Verrado High School, officially taking over after the 2024–25 school year. The move comes after Coach Tom Hathcock’s departure and a months-long search for a new play-caller, one that began under former principal Mr. Thomas.

The Vipers are coming off a red-hot 10–3 season, including a 4–1 league record that put them in a tie for first place in their region. Just a year earlier, the team finished a disappointing 3–7. The turnaround made waves across the West Valley—and now, Davis is expected to keep that momentum rolling.

“After a long and arduous process, I’m very excited to get started at Verrado High School,” Davis told The Arizona Republic in a text message.

Davis, originally from Oklahoma, is known as a program builder—a coach who takes underdog teams and turns them into headline material. During his time coaching in Coachella, California, Davis helped one struggling program deliver a season for the ages.

“When I was at Coachella, we beat all the teams in the area,” Davis said. “It was possibly the most historic moment for the school. These were teams they had never beaten before. People started talking about it everywhere—barber shops, restaurants, grocery stores. Even now, folks are still wearing those shirts with pride.”

It’s exactly that kind of energy he hopes to bring to Buckeye.

“In year one, I’m not worried about getting our team to the top,” he said. “Of course, the community wants to win, but the first thing we have to do is establish the program, the system, and the culture of Verrado football. Once that’s set, everything else will follow.”

Davis also hinted that he’s planning to stick around for the long haul. With his children possibly enrolling at Verrado in the near future, he sees this as more than a pit stop—it’s a chance to build something that lasts.
And while Verrado is already on the rise, Davis isn’t settling for short-term success.

“I don’t just plan for one year and let the next take care of itself,” he said. “You plan ahead. You build ahead. That’s how winning programs are made.”

With a rising state ranking (currently No. 25 in Arizona) and a fanbase hungry for more Friday night lights, all eyes are on Coach Davis as he prepares to lead the Vipers into a new era. From locker room culture to game-day execution, the next chapter of Verrado football is just getting started.