James Dockery officially introduced as head coach at Indio high school
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – After a Desert Sands Unified School District board approval Tuesday night, James Dockery is the new head coach for Indio High School football.
The Rajahs welcomed Dockery in a pep rally Wednesday morning, with students cheering and holding "Welcome Coach Dockery" signs. Dockery said he didn't take choosing a new school to coach at lightly and felt confident to lead the team after speaking with school staff.
"It's not a responsibility that I take lightly," Dockery said. "I understand the history of football in this program over the last couple of decades, and I understand the success hasn't been where they want it, and we're not going to shy away from that. At the same time, I see opportunity."
The Rajahs have struggled to have success in recent years but have a proud program with a rich history, having won CIF-SS championships in 1979 and 1981. Last season the team finished 1-9 overall and 0-3 in league and Dockery said he's already building a plan.
"Obviously, the hallmark of my teams have been defensive. Well we're really excited to take this a step forward and get our offense on track with our defense as well," He said. "And I think you guys will see a team next year, that is a sound football team, that plays with great fundamentals and effort."
Following the 2025 high school football season, Dockery stepped away from his role as head coach at Xavier Prep after he and the school administration mutually agreed to part ways.
His overall record at Xavier Prep was 44-38 with two ties, which included six winning seasons and one league title. Dockery led the Saints for nine seasons after being hired in 2017.
A graduate of Palm Desert high school in 2006, Dockery played his college football at Oregon State, before making it in the NFL.
He was signed in 2011 by the Cleveland Browns as an un-drafted free agent. He then played three seasons with the Carolina Panthers. Dockery signed with the Raiders in 2015 but never played a game, ending his NFL career.
Dockery plans to meet with players and parents over the next week to share his vision, "earn their trust" and hear their thoughts. He hopes to change the state of high school football in Indio and make an impact Valley wide.
"I think if they get to know me and what I represent or what I'm about, I think they'll want to go into battle with me as well," Dockery said. "The good thing about it is we want to put a fence around Indio. It's no secret that there's a lot of kids right here that live in Indio that are going to different schools in the Valley, and we want to make sure that doesn't happen under my watch."
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