MONTGOMERY, Ohio — Sycamore High School named Darryn Chenault as its head football coach and Student Success Coordinator Thursday afternoon, pending Sycamore Community Schools Board of Education approval.
“Coach Chenault brings over 30 years of coaching experience, a commitment to mentorship, and a vision for creating a culture of excellence on and off the field,” Sycamore athletic director Andrew Ovington said in a release. “His passion for building relationships with our student-athletes and our community will be a home run for our school district.”
Chenault was the Little Miami associate head coach in 2024. Arryn Chenault, Darryn's nephew, is the Little Miami head coach.
Darryn Chenault is also a former Lakota East associate head coach and a former Moeller assistant head coach, too.
Known for his defensive expertise, strategic innovation and ability to inspire, his teams have consistently achieved playoff appearances and championships.
“My goal is to build on that legacy and develop a program that thrives for the next 20 years and beyond. I’m excited to work with these talented, hardworking kids—I truly believe they’re capable of achieving greatness,” Chenault said in a release.
Chenault succeeds former longtime Sycamore head coach Scott Dattilo, who retired from the position Dec. 3. Last week, Mason High School named Dattilo as its offensive coordinator.
This upcoming season will be Chenault’s 35th year coaching Greater Cincinnati high school football. Chenault has also coached at Roger Bacon, Princeton, Lakota West and Finneytown, which is his alma mater.
Sycamore (1-10 record in 2024) opens this season Aug. 22 against visiting Kings (9-3).
Chenault told WCPO 9 Sports he’s really looking forward to building a rapport with the Sycamore student-athletes in order to help them succeed. Chenault said he'll enjoy being able to work to transform a program.
He also has 20-plus years of law enforcement experience and works at the University of Cincinnati in community engagement.
Chenault created programs like the UCPD Benevolent Fund and Shop with a Cop to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and underserved youth. He co-founded Black Tie Protective Services and served as Cincinnati Classical Schools' safety and security consultant.
As the executive director and co-founder of S3C, a nonprofit supporting families affected by cancer, he has provided scholarships and resources for over 16 years. Following his own life-saving kidney transplant, he has also become a passionate advocate for organ donation.
The community showed its support for Chenault in 2023 when Darryn received a kidney transplant from Arryn.
Chenault, who started his football coaching career at Roger Bacon, received the Tom Roebel Good Fellowship Award at the 54th annual Roger Bacon Sports Stag Jan. 16.
He told WCPO 9 Sports he's looking forward to creating a foundation of success at Sycamore.
“My focus is on building enthusiasm and creating a culture of excellence and pride for the Sycamore Aviator community,” Chenault said in a release. “I can’t wait to get to work, both on the field and in this amazing community.”
