Jason Pitts is the new athletic director and head football coach at New Diana High School.

Jason Pitts has been named the new athletic director and head football coach at New Diana High School.

Pitts said the move was approved at a board meeting on Monday night.

“I’m really excited,” Pitts said. “I’ve been wanting to get to be a head coach and AD for a long time. I went in and met all of these people. They are good people who are ready for someone to come in and do what I want to do.”

Pitts has spent the past four years at Tyler Legacy High School, where he’s most recently been the assistant head football coach and the director of football operations, while being the H backs coach and special teams coordinator.

“Coming here was probably the best thing I could’ve done,” Pitts said. “I was put into a spot with a lot of responsibility with the kids and the staff, kind of made me into a go-to guy, which I like. I think that really prepared me to be over all of the different sports.”

Pitts said he learned a lot from all of the coaches he’s worked with and for, including Todd Rodgers at Argyle and Kurt Traylor and Joe Willis in his time at Legacy.

“It started at Argyle with Coach Rodgers,” Pitts said. “He called me last night and gave me some tips. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor. And Coach Traylor and Coach Willis letting me do the stuff I’ve done and having that responsibility, it means the world to me.”

Pitts, a graduate of Troy High School, attended Texas A&M University and Texas State University before earning his degree from the University of North Texas. Pitts began his career at Argyle, where he spent seven years. Pitts then went to Frankston and Jacksonville for a year each before going to Callisburg for two years. Pitts then came to Legacy in 2018.

“East Texas is where a bunch of our family is,” Pitts said. “When I first came to East Texas a long time ago, I wasn’t sure if I would like it out here. But it has really become home. I love it out here.”

Pitts will take over for Clark Harrell, who led New Diana to a record of 1-19 in two seasons. The Eagles were 1-9 in 2021.

New Diana’s last playoff appearance was in 2019, and in 2017, the Eagles advanced four rounds deep in the playoffs.

Pitts has been on a Legacy staff that has guided the Red Raiders to playoff victories in each of the past two seasons and their first since 2009.

Pitts and his wife, Melanie, have three sons — Boston (12), Bennett (9) and Brewer (4).