Delano High School Welcomes New Head Football Coach

Delano High School has announced Jesus Hernandez as their next varsity head football coach. 

Hernandez, a Wasco High School alumni, served as the defensive coordinator for Wasco this past season. There he led a particularly dominant defense for the Tigers, which included three shutouts, a feat Wasco hadn’t completed in more than six seasons. 

Following the successful stint as a defensive guru, Hernandez will now be asked to bring stability to a Delano program that finished the season under the .500 mark for the seventh time in the last decade. 

“I’m excited,” said Hernandez. “You have to show the players that you care. The respect factor is a big part, but I’ve always felt that players respect you more when you care about them. We just want to get kids excited to be in this program again.” 

Originally from Miami, Florida, Hernandez arrived in Wasco when he was 12-years-old. In high school he played for the Tigers as a defensive back playing a key role in the Tigers first league championship under former head coach Russ Prado. 

After graduating from Wasco, Hernandez joined the military and was stationed in Texas and began coaching youth football while also obtaining his bachelor's degree. 

He then returned to California where he had brief stints at McFarland and Garces before returning to Killeen, Texas to continue coaching at the high school level. 

Before the 2025 season, Hernandez received an offer to return to Wasco from his former teammate and now Wasco head coach Kyle Wedel to become The Tigers defensive coordinator. 

During this return however, Hernandez would bring his son Jayven to fill the role as Wasco’s starting quarterback. 

“After I got the call I asked my son if he’s willing to make the move. And he told me ‘Dad, whatever we have to do for the family.’” said Hernandez. 

The decision paid off for both father and son, with Jayven posting more than 2000 all purpose yards and the defense dominating opposing offenses en route to Wasco’s first 10-win season in four years. 

With his son graduating from Wasco this year and a new head coaching role, Hernandez will now transition all of his efforts to strengthening a Delano program containing an extensive history of success and yet also plagued with recent instability. 

The Tigers program has seen six different head coaches in the past 11 seasons, with the past four seasons under Frank Gonzalez serving as the longest tenure of that group. 

Despite the recent woes, Hernandez is confident in Delano High’s talent and potential to be turned into a stable program. 

“[Delano] has the talent,” said Hernandez. “We do have to get a little stronger, a little faster, just a little bit more of a dog mentality.” 

As far as schematics, the defensive-minded Hernandez acknowledged the need for an adaptable defense.

“We’ll run a lot of different looks on the defensive side. Out here [in the central valley] one week you’ll go against the spread, and the next week you’ll see a Wing-T, so we have to have a variety.”

The variety that Hernandez spoke on is especially prevalent in the South Sequoia league, which sees powerhouses such as Kennedy, Shafter, and Wasco. These three schools not only slugged it out for a league title last season, but made deep runs into the Central Section Division 3 playoff. 

For the Tigers, their first three league matchups in any given season has been this exact gauntlet since Delano returned to the SSL in 2021. 

However, this doesn’t seem to phase Hernandez, who looks forward to the challenging schedule he’ll have to face in his first season. 

“I like tough schedules,” said Hernandez “I hate blowouts, I want [close] games that will show the character in coaches and the players, because that’s what playoffs are like. It’s going to be fun to see.” 

Even though Hernandez graduated and played for Wasco, he is well aware of the deeply rooted tradition that comes with Delano High School football. 

The Tigers next leading man is looking to build a program that resembles the dynasties that were prevalent throughout the early 2000s and 2010s. 

“I plan on being here a long time, and it’s my job to make football exciting again. I expect us to compete every year for league titles and valley titles. I gave that speech to the kids, and this is how you create a great culture that can continue throughout the years.” 

As for the thousands of Delano High School alumni and supporters that make up the majority of the city, the coach wants to share a message to build excitement for the team. 

“I want to let them know to get ready. It’s going to be a special season and we're going to do special things. The goal is to get back to the old days when this was a successful division one school, and get back to making it fun for the fans and players too.”