Jared Zito, Head Football Coach of Dacula High School

When head coach Kevin Maloof resigned for health reasons last fall, he left a good program in place in need of a good coach to build upon what had already been accomplished over the past 19 years. 

Dacula High School believes they have found just the man to do that.  His name is Jared Zito.  Zito has been coaching for 14 years.  He played his high school football at Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Fla.  He was the first person in his family to go to and graduate from college attending Newberry College in S. Car. where he played football as well. 

Coach Zito and his wife Amanda, who is an elementary school teacher, have two children, Maggie is almost six and Colten who will be two in May.  Maggie is already catching the team spirit as she is signed up with the Dacula Athletic Association to be Falcon cheerleader.

On the football field, Coach Zito has built a reputation of taking losing football programs and making them into playoff teams. 

Most recently he coached at North Forsyth High School.  After four years of turning that program into a successful playoff team, the opportunity to coach the Falcons came knocking.

"I felt like it was a great opportunity that is rare.  It is a program with tradition and history and although it is the largest district in the state, it still sits in a small town with great values and integrity," he said.   "I felt like it was a place where I could move my family, continue to build on the great tradition it already has and win championships."

Zito recognizes that Dacula's football program has been a solid program for quite a while and hopes to build upon that tradition of excellence. 

"I look forward to adding what I can to it so we can keep moving forward.  Our slogan for 2011 is 'Same Tradition...New Era!'," he said.   

For Coach Zito, however, success is more than results on the field.  His goal is to teach young men "the values of selflessness, teamwork, hard work and effort so they can be great husbands, fathers and citizens of our society as they grow older." 

Coach Zito only recently arrived in early February but he's already been hard at work.

"I have spent the last two months evaluating the program and I feel great about where it is right now.  Obviously, Coach Maloff and the staff have done a great job and left the program in great shape," he said.  "I think my strengths are connecting with players and parents, my enthusiasm and work ethic and the ability to develop a complete program that involves our program in the community and develops success on and off the field in a year-round family-based program."

That doesn't mean that there won't be some changes.

"The main change that many will see is our offense.  I feel like you must adapt your offensive and defensive packages to the players you have and will have in the future.  At Dacula we will be a no huddle spread attack that puts pressure on the defense in a variety of ways."

Coach Zito and his family already feel very at home in Dacula and have found the community to be tremendously supportive and welcoming.   

"The community, parents, players and coaches are all on the same team," he said. "My goal is to get everyone on the same page and for them to know that I about building relationships and partnerships.   I want people to know that Dacula is our program.  We can all help build a great program that will benefit the community."

Here are some upcoming community events involving the Dacula Falcons Football team:

• Friday April 29 - 5 p.m. Gym-Lift-a-thon event
• Friday May 20 - Spring Football Game 7 p.m.
• Monday June 6 - Golf Tournament
• Thursday August 11 - Community Pep Rally
• Friday August 12 - Home scrimmage against state champion runner-up Colquitt County