Arlington ISD head football coach steps down, suggests assistant as replacement
Arlington Lamar head coach Billy Skinner is stepping down to accept an athletic director role in another district, he confirmed to the Star-Telegram.
Pending board approval, the announcement will be made Monday. Skinner, an Arlington Lamar alumni, has been leading the Lamar Vikings for five seasons, and led the program to the playoffs in 2025, somewhere they hadn’t been since 2019.
Skinner, who tallied 13 interceptions during his high school career, served as an assistant and ultimately a defensive coordinator at Lamar from 2010 to 2019. He had a brief stint at Irving MacArthur, he took over for Laban Delay as head coach at Lamar.
“[My wife and I] were on our evening walk this weekend,” Skinner said. “And it kind of hit me that I’ve spent half my life ... at [Arlington Lamar]. ... And so, it’s left an imprint on me. I wanted to make an impact while I was there, and I feel good about the impact we made.
“What this place and this community and these kids have done, just in my life personally, it’s something that goes so much deeper than just a football team. So, it’s meant the world to me.”
Skinner said leaving was a very hard decision to make, especially considering he thinks the team is set up for success next season. The squad will be extremely experienced with 13 players who received quality playing time on varsity as sophomores.
“The senior class, this 2027 class — those are my babies,” Skinner said. “And they’re lined up to do something really special this next year. I believe that no matter who is at the helm — ... Hopefully it’s our guy coach [defensive coordinator Zach] Najarro, who is already there on staff — they’re going to move the needle.”
Skinner, who earned Star-Telegram All-Area honors as a senior, played college ball at Sam Houston and BYU.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 11:46 AM.
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