Aledo ISD announced on Jan. 27 the retirement of both AISD athletics director Steve Wood and head football coach Tim Buchanan at the end of this school year and the promotion of assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Robby Jones to head football coach for the Bearcats.
Wood, who has been at Aledo for 21 years as defensive coordinator, head football coach, and athletics director, retires after 42 years in education. Wood had other stops in his career as a teacher and assistant football coach at Port Lavaca High School (1981-1984), Pasadena Dobie High School (1985-1992), and Saginaw Boswell High School (1993-2001).
Wood became Buchanan’s assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator in 2002, then was promoted to head football coach from 2014-2018 while Buchanan stepped away from coaching to become Aledo ISD’s athletics director. Wood’s Bearcat teams won three state championships (2014, 2016, 2018) in four title game appearances. Wood amassed a 75-4 record in five seasons.
“I have so many memories and proud moments from 42 years in education, and these last 21 years in Aledo have been unforgettable,” Wood said. “What we have been able to accomplish is remarkable, and I have enjoyed being a part of it as an assistant coach, a head coach and an athletics director. I will certainly miss our kids and getting to know them and cheer them on, but I will be a Bearcat for life.”
Steve Wood and Tim Buchanan
Wood and Buchanan flipped positions before the 2019 season with Wood becoming the district’s athletic director and Buchanan returning to the sidelines as AHS head football coach. Wood won four state titles as an Aledo assistant coach (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013), three as the Bearcats head coach (2014, 2016, 2018), and three as athletics director (2019, 2020, 2022) for 10 total state titles.
“I am so grateful for the impact Steve Wood has had on our athletics program in Aledo,” AISD Superintendent Dr. Susan Bohn said. “I have seen it time and again his love for our student-athletes and coaches, and his genuine interest in the success of both. To know him is to love him. We’ll definitely miss his leadership but wish him well in his much-deserved retirement after 42 years in education and his 21 years in service to his Bearcats.”
Legendary Aledo Bearcats head football coach Tim Buchanan announced his retirement after 30 years at Aledo (25 as head coach) and 40 years in public education and coaching overall — and just six weeks after the Bearcats won their UIL-record 11th state title 52-14 over College Station at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 17, 2022.
Buchanan - who amassed a 281-58-3 coaching record — won eight state championships, which ranks tied for second behind the 11-man state record holders Carthage’s Scott Surratt and Gordon Wood (Brownwood/Stamford). G.A. Moore also won eight state titles at Pilot Point and Celina.
“We will most certainly miss Coach Buc on our sidelines at Aledo,” Bohn said. “In 30 years, he has created a culture and a community of Bearcats who are extremely proud. His high expectations, his extreme preparation, and his desire to see each student-athlete in his program succeed are just a few of the reasons that he’ll retire as one of the most decorated and respected coaches in Texas state football history.
“Personally, I am grateful that, when I was named superintendent in Aledo ISD in 2018 and I asked Coach Buc to stay, he rethought the retirement he had already announced at the time. He chose to stay on as athletics director and even came back as head coach for a second stint. I have been honored and blessed to have worked alongside both Coach Buc and Coach Wood and to have seen first-hand the impact they have had on our community and defining what it means to be a Bearcat,” Bohn said.
Buchanan finishes with 20 seasons with double-digit wins and two undefeated seasons. His only losing season was his first, in 1993. Buchanan went 8-0 in state title games, winning in 1998, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2020 and 2022. During his five years as Aledo ISD athletics director when former defensive coordinator Steve Wood took over as head coach, the Bearcats won three more state titles (2014, 2016, 2018).
Aledo’s 11 state football titles are an all-time UIL record regardless of classification. Between Buchanan and Wood, Aledo has a 111-game district win streak that’s still active; Aledo’s last district loss was on Oct. 5, 2007.
“When you get into coaching, you have big plans and dreams but never could I have envisioned that nearly 40 years later, I’d be leaving with eight state titles as a head coach and three as an athletics director,” Buchanan said. “When I came to Aledo, the school was on its sixth head football coach in five years - one two years before me had left after two days. We had a lot of work to do, but we had the buy-in of thousands of young men and Bearcats who grew up wanting to be a part of something special.
“I am proud of the work we’ve done and, honestly, I do sometimes step back and say, ‘wow’ as I think of all of the coaches, administrators, trainers, parents, student-athletes and so many more who have been a part of something so special as what we have in Aledo,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan will be inducted into the Texas High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor this summer in Houston during the THSCA Coaching School and Convention. Prior to Aledo, Buchanan was an assistant coach at Bastrop (1984), Killeen Ellison (1985, 1987), The Colony (1986) and A&M Consolidated (1988-1992) where he won the 1991 Class 4A state title as an assistant coach.
“I am honored to have been able to work with Coach Buc over the last 18 years and to have seen first-hand the impact he’s made on thousands of young student-athletes,” Aledo High School principal Angi Tims said. “His student-athletes are not only good football players but also good students and representatives of Aledo High School. He has set a very high standard for excellence. We’re going to miss him but wish him nothing but the very best in retirement.”
During Buchanan’s time as athletics director from 1993 to 2018, Aledo won state titles in golf (2007), softball (2008, 2014, 2015) and baseball (2014) and played for state championships or qualified for the state tournament in boys soccer, girls soccer, volleyball and girls basketball. The school also had several individual state champions in track and field, cross country, and golf.
Robby Jones, longtime assistant head football coach and offensive coordinator at Aledo High School, has been named the new head football coach for the Bearcats. Jones, who started at Aledo in 2000, has won 10 state titles as offensive coordinator at Aledo.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be the next head football coach at Aledo High School because it is the top program in the state of Texas,” Jones said. “Since I’ve been a Bearcat for 23 seasons, you’ll probably notice that not a whole lot will change. We know what works, and we’re going to stay the course and continue with the great traditions, the high expectations and the incredible work ethic that are well established in our program.
“It is not easy to follow a coaching legend, but I know Coach Buc will be my biggest supporter. I can’t wait to continue to build upon what Coach Buc and Coach Wood have done in Aledo,” Jones said.
Prior to Aledo, Jones was a history teacher and an assistant football, basketball, track and baseball coach in Dublin from 1995 to 1997. He was a teacher and an assistant football, basketball and track coach and head golf coach in Munday ISD from 1997 to 2000. Jones has also been the head track coach at Aledo since 2018.
In his 14 years as Aledo’s offensive coordinator, the Bearcats have averaged 49.4 points per game with a 45 points per game average in the playoffs.
“I cannot think of anyone more qualified to take over the Bearcat football program than Robby Jones,” retiring head football coach Tim Buchanan said. “Robby has dedicated 23 years to Aledo High School and is one of the very best coaches I know both in X’s and O’s and in his dedication to kids. I cannot wait to see him succeed.”
Jones and his entire family are long-time Bearcats. Jones’ wife Cheryl has worked as a teacher and administrator in Aledo ISD since 2000 and has been the principal at the Aledo Learning Center for the last seven years. His son Dane graduated from Aledo in 2018 and played football for four years, and son Cade graduated in 2020 and played four years of football and baseball at Aledo.
“We are excited to introduce Robby Jones as our next head football coach, but we know he’s no stranger to our community or to Bearcat football,” Bohn said. “Coach Jones has been a constant in this program for 23 years, and I know he will continue to build on our rich football tradition at Aledo. He has a passion for football and for making his student-athletes be the best they can be. Congratulations, Coach Jones, on this well-deserved promotion to head football coach at Aledo.”
Jones also comes from a football family. His father, the late Jerry Jones, had a head coaching record of 206-77-7 in 25 years at Celina, Maypearl, Pilot Point and Prosper. He followed legendary football coach G.A. Moore twice in his career - when he took over after Moore at Celina and then at Pilot Point. Robby Jones’ two brothers have also coached, with his brother Rocky Jones retiring from coaching at Aledo just last season.
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