Ravenwood announced it has hired offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Ricky Rodriguez to replace Will Hester as the school’s next TSSAA football coach.
Ravenwood moved quickly to replace Hester, who won 106 career games and led the Raptors to the 2015 Class 6A state championship. Rodriguez’s May 6 hire came less than a week after Hester resigned.
Rodriguez, a California native, was head coach at James Logan High School in Union City, California, in 2018 and 2019 before resigning to move to Tennessee. He went 16-6 at Logan, which was 2-8 before his arrival. He was named Norcal Coach of the Year and Oakland Raiders Coach of the Year in 2018 while also capturing the MVAL Championship in 2019.
Rodriguez went 24-20 at Encinal (California) before that, including a 20-4 record the final two seasons of a four-year stay. His tenure included two WACC Championships, three playoff appearances and two CIF quarterfinal appearances.
Rodriguez was a BGA assistant for two seasons before joining Ravenwood.
“He has done an incredible job on our staff for the last couple of years building relationships with our kids and coaches,” Ravenwood athletic director Andy Elrod said. “He has become a great member of our faculty and community while embodying everything that Ravenwood High School is all about.”
Hester, who resigned to become the Brentwood Middle School assistant principal, left the program in good hands. He went 76-17 in two coaching stints at Ravenwood, from 2013-15 and then 2021-2024.
“Coach Rodriguez will do an amazing job carrying forward the Ravenwood football program,” Hester said in the release. “His high energy and ability to build strong relationships are elite qualities that will serve him well in the position.”
Rodriguez will have a chance to win immediately. In 2025, the Raptors will return 42 seniors from last year’s 13-1 team that reached the Class 6A state semifinals. That includes quarterbacks Femi Babalola and Maverick Chance, who split time at the position.
Rodriguez is also head coach of Ravenwood’s girls flag football team, which will compete in the TSSAA’s first state invitational May 7-8. He has led the team to the last two of its four straight Williamson County district titles.
“Today is an exciting occasion for all of us as we celebrate with him and look ahead to the upcoming football season,” Ravenwood principal Pam Vaden said. “We believe he will become one of the greats in our coaching community.”
Tyler Palmateer covers high school sports for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for him? Reach Tyler at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83. He also writes The Tennessean’s high school sports newsletter, The Bootleg. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
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