Odessa’s Dusty Ortiz Named Creekview High School Head Football Coach

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD struck gold in the oilfields of West Texas this week, announcing Odessa High School’s Dusty Ortiz as the next head football coach for Creekview High School. Ortiz, who also served as head coach in Odessa, is a noted program-changer at schools statewide. He looks to immediately change course on Creekview’s current 21-game losing streak, which dates back to the 2021 season. The new mustang signal-caller has a proven penchant for turning around programs and looks forward to a bumped-up classification in the 5A Division.

The four-year head coach assumes a role made vacant last month when Ferris ISD hired former coach Tony Castillo as their athletic director. Overall, Ortiz has 22 years of coaching experience.

“I am thrilled that this opportunity has presented itself to me and my family,” Ortiz said. “Throughout the interview process, it was clear that I wanted to be at Creekview High School and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD. Creekview is built to win championships and has had a lot of success across several sports. We expect the same for our football program, and I have no doubt we will get there.”

Ortiz expects success sooner than later—and his track record supports that optimistic outlook. He has played key coaching roles in turning around four 6A programs.

He helped guide a Keller Central program from 3-7 to 8-3 in 2012. In 2014, Conroe Oak Ridge went from 1-9 to 7-4. He was assistant head coach for a Keller Timber Creek squad that went from 3-7 to 7-5. And his 2023 Odessa team went from 0-10 to 5-4.

Ortiz also contributed to the first-ever winning seasons in program history at Keller Central and Keller Timber Creek. At those two schools, he helped secure Central’s first playoff berth (2011) and Timber Creek’s first-ever playoff win (2016). He was also part of Conroe Oak Ridge’s best start to any season (7-0) in 2013.

Most recently at Odessa High, he guided the Bronchos to a win over six-time state champion and arch-rival Odessa Permian during the 2023 season. That marked Odessa’s first series win in 10 years and just the tenth overall since the two teams began playing more than 60 years ago. His squads also won more games in his three years at the helm than the previous six years combined.

Academically, every senior student-athlete in football graduated during his three years in Odessa.

Ortiz also had coaching stops at Bay City HS, Conroe Caney Creek HS, Hays HS (Hays-Consolidated ISD), Chisholm Trail HS (Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD) and his native Hart HS. He and his family will be officially introduced at the June 6 school board meeting.