After midseason coaching change, Tony Savino leads Nolan Catholic Football
Taking over as head coach of a struggling high school football team midway through the season isn’t easy.
But that’s the challenge Tony Savino inherited when he was promoted to Fort Worth Nolan Catholic’s head coach ahead of a Week 8 game against Dallas Bishop Lynch. Former head coach Aaron Mattox will remain the Vikings’ director of athletics, which will allow him to focus on supporting all Nolan athletic programs from behind the scenes.
Nolan football is eliminated from playoff contention with a 1-7 overall and an 0-4 district record.
Now, Savino, a former TCU assistant coach under Gary Patterson, is looking toward the future with two games remaining in the regular season. He said it's an honor to take on the role and that he is looking forward to developing relationships with the players.
The first two games after his promotion were a 55-3 loss to Bishop Lynch and a 63-3 loss to Argyle Liberty Christian — two of TAPPS Football’s most successful squads.
“We understand that the scoreboard sometimes won’t reflect [effort and unity],” Savino said. “But if you’re playing hard and you’re playing with more passion — playing for each other and you’re excited about playing together, we feel like that’s a big deal and a big step in the right direction.”
Not too long ago, Nolan Catholic used to have a similar reputation as Bishop Lynch and Liberty Christian. The program has eight state championships.
But since a state title game appearance in 2020, Nolan hasn’t looked like the same powerhouse. In 2021, Nolan had to forfeit three games due to use of ineligible players and, in 2023, the program failed to win a game.
Now, the Vikings will look to ascend under new leadership, and Savino is confident they’ll move in the right direction and, eventually, return to their standard of excellence.
“I’m 17 seasons into my coaching career,” Savino said. “Not only did I end up at Nolan Catholic this summer — but now I have an opportunity to run this program and be able to mold it into what I believe it should be — a place where we can win championships again.”
Getting the Vikings back to their former glory may take some time, but Savino said the team will focus on its attitude, something it can control, and aim to learn from losses in order to grow. He emphasized the importance of staying together as a team and playing with class.
On top of the Xs and Os of football, Savino said one of his main priorities it to lead Nolan athletes in a Catholic environment.
“That is a big deal for us here at Nolan,” Savino said. “Just making sure that these kids are grounded in their faith. I want to focus on our role as spiritual leaders — not just football leaders.”
The Vikings have two games left in 2025, and Savino said he has begun emphasizing his core values to the Nolan coaching staff and players. He often reminds them, “how you do one thing is how you do everything,” and says several have started to take that message to heart.
“As far as football itself is concerned, we just want to be a tough, disciplined program,” Savino said. “We just want to make sure that we thrive on and off the field with a mentality of excellence.
“That’s both in the community and in the classroom as well as doing things on the football field the right way — a lot of attention to detail. Looking and acting like a football team and not just a group of individuals that are part of a football team.”
Nolan Catholic will host Frisco Legacy Christian at 7 p.m. Friday.
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 2:49 PM.
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