Rockwall-Heath promotes John Harrell to head football coach, replacing Mike Spradlin

Rockwall-Heath went inside its program to find its new football coach.

Assistant head coach and run game coordinator John Harrell was promoted to head coach Tuesday night, replacing Mike Spradlin.

“He is a proven winner and has been a part of a coaching staff that has been very instrumental in the resurgence of the entire athletic department at Rockwall-Heath.” Rockwall ISD director of athletics Russ Reeves said in a statement. “John has always been associated with very successful programs throughout his playing and coaching career, and those experiences have been and will continue be seen throughout the Rockwall-Heath High School athletic program moving forward. Being an integral part of the current staff, Coach Harrell’s knowledge of the culture and the needs of the student-athletes on campus will allow him to continue build on the current championship success at Rockwall-Heath.”

Spradlin compiled a record of 27-10 in three seasons at Heath, but he is retiring at the end of the school year after spending 33 years in public education. He finished his career with a record of 151-74 in 19 seasons as a head coach.

Harrell has been at Rockwall-Heath since 2019, and the team reached a regional final in 2020 and the regional semifinals in 2021. This season’s 11-2 team averaged 50.5 points and 298 rushing yards.

“John is a fantastic young coach,” Spradlin said in a statement. “He has been an instrumental key to the success we have enjoyed at Rockwall-Heath over the last three years. His passion for kids, and for this school and community is unmatched. He is absolutely one of the hardest working and innovative coaches I have ever worked with. Heath could not have picked a better man.”

Rockwall-Heath will have to replace quarterback Josh Hoover (signed with TCU), running back Zach Evans (signed with Minnesota) and wide receivers Jay Fair (signed with Auburn) and Jordan Nabors (signed with Baylor) from a team that led Class 6A area programs in total offense and ranked second in scoring offense. All four are ranked among the top 60 recruits in the Dallas area.

Harrell was a first-team all-state defensive tackle at Stephenville, where he played for Art Briles, and in 2002 he was named the state’s Class 4A defensive player of the year. He began his college career at Houston, where he moved to offense and Spradlin was his offensive line coach, before finishing his playing career and earning all-conference honors at Tarleton State.

Harrell’s first coaching job was as an offensive line and tight ends graduate assistant coach at Tarleton State. He coached the same positions at Coffeyville Community College and Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He also has held coaching jobs at Stephenville, Midlothian and in Garland ISD.

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