Denton Guyer names defensive coordinator Reed Heim head football coach

One of the Dallas-area’s more successful football programs in recent years has a new head coach. It didn’t need to look far, either,

Denton ISD named Reed Heim as Denton Guyer’s next head football coach on Tuesday night. Heim, who previously served as Guyer’s defensive coordinator, replaces Rodney Webb, who was named Highland Park’s athletic director earlier this month.

Webb led Guyer to a 25-5 record and a state title game appearance in two seasons as head coach.

Heim, who’s served as the team’s defensive coordinator since 2020, has extensive experience at the college and high school levels. Prior to joining Guyer, he worked as Colorado’s special teams quality control coach from 2019-20, and as Tulsa’s director of high school relations and recruiting for the year prior. His previous stops include Richardson and Jesuit, as well as SMU and Baylor. A Lake Highlands graduate, Heim was a three-time all-conference linebacker at Austin College

Now he’ll be tasked with building upon a state runner-up season. Guyer went 14-2 in 2021 and lost to Austin Westlake in the 6A Div. II state title game, and returns three of the state’s top recruits in the class of 2023.

Among Guyer’s standout returnees is four-star safety Peyton Bowen, the fourth-ranked player on The Dallas Morning News’ top 50 recruits list for the class of 2023. Bowen, a Notre Dame commit, was named The News’ utility player of the year in 2021 after he scored seven touchdowns — one on defense, three on special teams and three as a receiver — and intercepted six passes as a junior.

Also returning is four-star safety Ryan Yaites, an LSU commit ranked sixth on The News’ top 50, and the state’s top-ranked quarterback, four-star Jackson Arnold. Arnold, an Oklahoma commit and the eighth-ranked player on The News’ top 50, was named The News’ offensive player of the year in 2021 after totaling more than 4,500 yards and 46 touchdowns as a junior.

Four-star sophomore cornerback Eli Bowen, who holds offers from LSU, Notre Dame and Oklahoma, emerged as a cornerstone defender for Guyer last season as well.

Under Heim, Guyer’s defense held opponents to 296.69 yards and 20.26 points per game last season, both top 10 marks in the Dallas area. It’ll compete in District 5-6A alongside perennial power Allen, Denton Braswell, Little Elm, McKinney, McKinney Boyd, Prosper and Prosper Rock Hill for the next two seasons. Its non-district schedule will include Rockwall-Heath (11-2 last season), Aledo (10-time state champion) and Lancaster, which has a 30-5 record over the last three seasons.

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