Arlington Lamar is keeping things in-house.
Arlington ISD promoted defensive coordinator Zach Najarro to be the Vikings’ next head football coach, giving the program a familiar leader after Billy Skinner left to become Grapevine-Colleyville ISD’s executive director of athletics.
It is the kind of move that makes plenty of sense for a program trying to build off recent momentum instead of hitting the reset button. Lamar made the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since 2019, and Najarro was already part of the staff that helped get the Vikings back into the postseason picture.
That matters, especially heading into 2026.
Lamar is expected to return an experienced group, giving Najarro a real chance to keep the program climbing. Skinner had publicly expressed hope that Najarro would get the job, which says plenty about the trust already in place inside the program.
Now Najarro gets to take over a Lamar program with a proud history. The Vikings have 29 playoff appearances and play their home games at Cravens Field, one of the more familiar venues in Arlington ISD football.
This is also a program with a clear standard. Lamar has been through different eras, different coaching staffs, and different district battles, but the Vikings have long carried a recognizable name in the Metroplex football scene. Getting back to the playoffs last season was an important step.
Now the challenge is turning that breakthrough into something sustainable.
The 2026 UIL realignment puts Lamar in a district with plenty of teeth. Arlington Bowie has been the top Arlington ISD Class 6A program recently, winning consecutive district titles. Aledo, one of the most decorated programs in Texas high school football, also moves into Class 6A and joins the mix. Granbury and Weatherford are part of the district as well.
So yes, the road gets tougher. But the timing also gives Najarro a real opportunity.
He knows the players. He knows the expectations. He knows what helped Lamar break through last season. Now the job shifts from coordinating the defense to leading the entire program.
For the Vikings, the goal is simple: prove 2025 was not just a one-year bounce.
Lamar got back into the playoffs. Now Najarro gets the chance to keep them there.
