Incarnate Word Academy is making a big move as it prepares for a new era of football.
The Corpus Christi private school announced the hiring of Craig E. Charlton as its Football Program Director and Head Varsity Coach. The move comes as IWA prepares to launch its inaugural 11-man football program, giving the Angels a veteran coach with deep Coastal Bend roots and decades of Texas high school football experience.
Charlton most recently spent 11 seasons as the athletic coordinator and head football coach at Corpus Christi W.B. Ray High School. During his time with the Texans, he became the fourth-winningest football coach in school history and led Ray to three playoff appearances, including a bi-district playoff win in 2018.
That makes this a major hire for Incarnate Word Academy, which has been building its football identity quickly.
The Angels launched football just a few years ago, beginning with a developmental phase before competing in TAPPS six-man football. The program earned its first playoff appearance in 2024 and continued building momentum in 2025. Now, the jump to 11-man football signals a much bigger step.
Charlton gives IWA a coach who knows what building and sustaining a program looks like. He has coached athletes who went on to compete at the college and professional levels, and several of his former players have become head football coaches themselves. That coaching tree helped earn Charlton a nomination for the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Charlton and his family to Incarnate Word Academy,” Athletic Director Kevin Steen said. “His proven track record of building successful programs, developing student-athletes, and leading with integrity makes him the ideal person to guide our football program into this exciting new era.”
Charlton announced his retirement from Corpus Christi Ray in November 2025, stepping away from public school coaching to spend more time with his aging parents. His return to the sideline at IWA gives him a new challenge while keeping him in the Corpus Christi football community.
The Angels will compete as a TAPPS Independent team in their first 11-man season. Their opener is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, against crosstown rival St. John Paul II.
For IWA, this is more than just hiring a coach.
It is a clear signal that the Angels are serious about becoming a real part of the South Texas 11-man football landscape.
