Katy Taylor is in search for a new head coach for the first time in seven years.

Chad Simmons retirement was announced on Thursday when Katy ISD posted a job opening for a new Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator for Taylor. He will stay on at Taylor until December.

Simmons came to Taylor in 2018 and found instant success. The Mustangs went 6-6 and won a playoff game in his first year and then surged over the next two years, going 9-6 in 2019 and making the state semifinals before going 9-3 and reaching the regional semifinals in 2020.

Things have been a struggle for Taylor over the last four years though. Taylor won just one district game in 2021 and two in 2022. The Mustangs improved last season, going 5-6 and making the playoffs, but Taylor suffered another losing season this year, going 2-8 and 1-7 in District 19-6A play.

A Nederlands native who played college football at Lamar University, Simmons is a long time coach in Katy ISD. He joined the Cinco Ranch coaching staff in 2000 and quickly worked up the ranks to become Don Clayton’s defensive coordinator in 2004. Simmons stayed in that position for 14 years before accepting the Taylor head coaching job in 2018.

Simmons leaves Taylor with an overall record of 36-44 and a record in district of 19-29 while accumulating a 7-4 record in the playoffs. Taylor made the playoffs in four of his seven seasons, including the teams two deep runs in 2019 and 2020. Simmons was Taylor’s eighth head coach, succeeding Joe Sheffy, who was the interim coach for Taylor in 2017 after former Taylor head coach Trey Hermann was placed on indefinite leave that year.