Aaron De La Torre, defensive coordinator at Ryan High School and former head football coach at Irving High School, passed away on Tuesday night. His death was confirmed by Ryan High School Principal Vernon Reeves in an email to parents on Wednesday morning.
Denton ISD also released a statement regarding De La Torre’s passing, acknowledging his roles as a husband, father, and grandfather. The district offered support to the Ryan High School community during this time.
De La Torre’s coaching career spanned over two decades. He served as head coach at Irving High School from 2012 to 2017 before joining Ryan High School as defensive coordinator. Under his leadership, Ryan High’s football team won the 2020 5A Division I state championship, marking the program’s third title.
De La Torre also had a background as a player, starting for four years at Stephen F. Austin State University and briefly playing in the NFL and NFL Europe. His sons continue the family’s football tradition, with Alex serving as an assistant coach at Wylie East High School and Kolt playing as an offensive lineman at Stephen F. Austin.
The cause of De La Torre's death has not been released, pending a report from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office.
In 2014, De La Torre was inducted into the Irving ISD Athletic Hall of Fame.
Investigation into Alleged Assault Involving Aaron De La Torre
De La Torre was investigated by the Hickory Creek Police Department in Denton County for an alleged assault of a juvenile. On Saturday, September 28, 2024, at approximately 6:38 PM, Hickory Creek Police Officers responded to a 911 call and possible disturbance at a RaceTrac Gas Station. The parties involved had left the original scene at the Walmart and relocated to the gas station. Upon arrival, Officers observed several individuals reporting that an adult male, identified as Aaron De La Torre, appeared to have assaulted a 12-year-old boy. Additionally, many witnesses were filming the incident and those videos went viral on social media.
Officers located and interviewed the witnesses and received conflicting statements about the incident. On the scene, the preliminary investigation revealed insufficient probable cause to arrest De La Torre. There were no visible signs of assault, injury or other evidence to support an offense had occurred. The parents of the juveniles were called to the scene, given the information available at the time, and had their children released to them. The department continued their investigation.
On October 1, 2024, the Hickory Creek Police Department announced that investigators had obtained all known CCTV footage of the interaction between De La Torre and the juvenile males. The investigator met with the juvenile's mother and conducted a full case review with her, including all available videos and witness statements.
"After the complete case review, the juvenile's parent decided that although she does not support the actions taken towards her son by an adult, she believes that no criminal activity occurred and chose not to press charges," said the Hickory Creek Police Department in a statement.
As a result, the investigation into the incident was closed, with no charges filed against De La Torre.
Man… this one hurts.
— Randall Vincent (@_CoachVincent) October 9, 2024
I was one of the most hard-headed kids and I’m thankful you never gave up on me. You laid out the blueprint! There wasn’t a moment where I questioned your character or commitment to building us up, and preparing us for our futures. RIP pic.twitter.com/8AwAkOHpPV
