https://www.duvalsports.com/become-a-duval-sports-featured-athlete/Back by popular demand, is the Best of the Best feature we debuted last summer. Last year was a hit with our Top Local High School Football Teams of All-Time! It generated thousands of responses while causing all kinds of controversy in the process.
We plan on topping that with the Best High School Coach of All-Time. The Top 32 High School coaches from several sports have been put in a single elimination bracket going head to head to claim the top prize.
The bracket will consist of four regions: Football, Basketball, Baseball/Softball and Other Sports, with Other Sports covering soccer, volleyball and anything else.
Each region has eight coaches. Each week we will release matchups for each region and let the public debate and vote for their pick. The goal is to try to persuade Andre Ellis and Corey Davis to pick who wins. At the conclusion of each week, we will show the fan vote and picks by Corey and Andre’ to decide who moves on to the next round.
Today we reveal Region 1, our basketball region with some of the best high school hardwood coaches in our area of all time. Let’s get it on!
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Seeding
1. Bernard Wilkes
2. Al Austin
3. Rex Morgan
4. Jim Martin
5. Shelia Seymore-Pennick
6. Doug White
7. Kathy Boatwright
8. Buddy Ward
Region #1 Basketball
Round 1
Matchup #1
#1 Bernard Wilkes vs. #8 Buddy Ward
Bernard Wilkes (Ribault) (P)
Wilkes became the head boys basketball coach at Ribault High School in 1976 and made his first FHSAA Finals appearance in 1981. In his 30-year career, he won 12 Gateway Conference championships, 21 district titles, 16 FHSAA Finals state tournament appearances, and was a state champion and state runner-up four times each. His final record was 758-158 – two wins shy of the record for the most wins in Florida high school boys basketball, set by fellow Hall of Fame member Don Wallen. Wilkes guided more than 100 student-athletes to play basketball at the college level.
Buddy Ward (Bolles) (P)
Ward (412-171) took Bolles to 8 Final Fours, winning 2 state titles in 1988 and 1989 along with 3 state runner-up finishes.
He guided the boys’ basketball team to back-to-back state titles in 1988 and 1989, following three straight state runner-up finishes from 1985-87 and a total of eight state final four appearances. The Bulldogs also won 10 district titles during Ward’s tenure. Additionally, Ward led the boys’ golf team to three straight state runner-up finishes from 1996-98.
VOTE!!!!
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Matchup #2
#3 Rex Morgan vs. #6 Doug White
Rex Morgan (Arlington Country Day) (P)
Under Rex Morgan, the Arlington Country Day Apaches became one of the most feared small private schools in the state.
Along with 5 straight state titles (2005-2009), Morgan also lead Apaches to state runner-up finishes in 2000, 2001, 2010 in 9 trips to the Final Four.
Morgan (477-83) led the Apaches to Sunshine Independent Athletic Association (SIAA) state titles in the SIAA in 2012 and 2014.
Doug White (Raines)
While neighbor arch-rival Ribault gets all the glory and rightfully so, Raines has had their share of success on the court too.
Under Coach Doug White, the Vikings won back-to-back state titles in 2003 and 2004, the second and third state titles in the programs history. He compiled a (416-190) win-loss total up there with other area greats. He would go on to serve as the school’s athletic director and the school’s gymnasium is named after this legendary figure.
VOTE
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Matchup #3
#4 Jim Martin vs. #5 Shelia Seymore-Pennick
Jim Martin (Providence) (P)
Jim Martin (442-87) has been the head coach of Providence School for 17 years and since 2002 has guided the Stallions to 16 straight postseason appearances, six Final Fours, three state titles (2010, 2013, 2015) and a state runner-up finish last season.
Coach Martin has been honored with the FABC Coach of the Year and Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year award twice each. He has also had the opportunity to coach two McDonalds All-Americans including Grayson Allen (Duke) and Patric Young (Florida while producing 30 college basketball players total.
Martin ranked third all-time in the First Coast area in state titles behind Morgan (five) and Wilkes (four).
Shelia Seymore Pennick (Ribault) (P)
Replacing a legend isn’t easy, but Pennick has done a remarkable job replacing legendary coach Al Austin. Since taking over in 2005, Pennick (319-63) has advanced to the playoffs 13 straight years, 8 Final Fours, won 4 state titles, a national championship and finished state runner-up once. Among many other honors in her coaching career, in 2016 Pennick was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year, and the ALL-USA Today Florida Coach of the Year.
VOTE
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Matchup #4
#2 Al Austin vs. #7 Kathy Boatwright
Al Austin (Ribault) (P)
In 26 seasons, Austin (721-60) guided the Trojans to 8 state titles and 1 state runner-up finish.
Ribault High School girls basketball coach Al Austin has had reason to celebrate in 2003. In addition to his selection to the FHSAA Hall of Fame, he completed his 25th season with a fifth consecutive state championship, a breakthrough in Florida girls basketball history.
At the time his 695-56 record made him the all-time winningest coach in Florida. In recognition of his achievements, Austin was selected as the head coach of the USA South team for the second annual USA Basketball Women’s Youth Development Festival.
Austin began teaching and coaching at Ribault in 1975, assisting in football and track for the first few years. He became the head girls basketball coach in 1978. His teams have amassed 22 district and 18 regional championships, 13 appearances in the FHSAA Finals, and eight state titles.
Under Austin’s leadership, Ribault won 101 consecutive games from January 2000 through January 2003, and has never lost more than five games in a season.
Austin is a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and FAMU Hall of Fame.
Kathy Boatwright (Keystone Heights) (P)
Kathleen R. “Kathy” Boatwright, quite simply, has built a girls basketball dynasty at Keystone Heights High School.
Under her 20-year tutelage, the Lady Indians have won 13 FHSAA district Championships, including a current streak of six straight; made seven appearances in the FHSAA Florida Finals, including the last four state championship events; have won two state championships (1994, 1995) in addition to two state runner-up finishes.
Boatwright has a coaching record of 443 wins against on 123 losses, and has coached Keystone Heights to 20 or more wins 11 out of the last 12 seasons. Only four other active girls basketball coaches in Florida have accumulated more victories than Boatwright.
VOTE
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Seeding
1. Bernard Wilkes
2. Al Austin
3. Rex Morgan
4. Jim Martin
5. Shelia Seymore Pennick
6. Doug White
7. Kathy Boatwright
8. Buddy Ward
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Don’t forget to argue your case below in the comments section!
