West Ranch High School Principal Mark Crawford has named Chris Varner as the Wildcats new head football coach. He will join West Ranch as a teacher to begin the second semester in January.

“We are excited to have Chris Varner on board as our new head football coach,” Crawford said. “Not only is Chris a great addition to our athletic program as a coach, but he is an outstanding teacher as well. I know there are great things to come for the Wildcat football program. We look forward to him becoming part of the West Ranch family.”

Coach Varner has over 17 years of football coaching experience, including four years as the Canyon Cowboys head coach from 2007-2010. In his last year as the Cowboys coach, Varner amassed a 10-2 record and a trip to the CIF quarterfinals. Varner was also a member of the Canyon coaching staff that won a state title in 2006.

“West Ranch has tremendous athletes with so much potential,” said Varner, who has spent the last five years as a high school football commentator on Fox Sports West and SCVTV. “I was impressed with the athletes I saw this past season at the lower levels. I’m looking forward to implementing my system, which I believe can start a competitive tradition for Wildcat football.”

Varner replaces Jan Miller, who stepped down at the end of the 2015 season after three years at the helm.