Northside High School has a new head football coach to lead the Patriots
Northside High School has a new leader of its football program, promoting defensive coordinator Brycen Freeman to head coach.
The Muscogee County School District’s news release Thursday didn’t explain why Andrew Oropeza no longer is in charge of the team, but MCSD communications director Kimberly Wright told the Ledger-Enquirer on Friday that Oropeza resigned to become Harris County’s offensive coordinator.
Freeman has worked in MCSD for nearly two decades, beginning his career in 2007 at Marshall Middle School, then moving to Rothschild Middle School in 2013. He joined Northside in 2016 and has been the defensive coordinator the past seven seasons.
“Coach Freeman has shown consistent leadership, a tireless work ethic and a genuine commitment to our student-athletes, both on and off the field,” Northside athletics director Morgan Ingram said in the news release, “We are confident he is the right person to lead our football program into the future.”
Oropeza led the Patriots to a 31-30 record during his six seasons as Northside’s head football coach. They went 2-8 last year, missing the state playoffs for the second straight season.
Their best season with Oropeza at the helm was in 2022, when the Patriots went 10-2, won their region’s championship and reached the second round of the state playoffs. It’s the best season in the program’s 22-year history. The Patriots went 1-9 the season before Oropeza became their head coach.
The Ledger-Enquirer didn’t reach Freeman or Oropeza for comment before publication.
This story was originally published January 8, 2026 at 6:48 PM.
