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 3, our Football region with some of the best high school gridiron coaches in our area of all time. Down, Set, Hike!
Seeding
Seeding
- Corky Rogers
- 2.Verlon Dorminey
- Robby Pruitt
- Mike Pittman
- David Penland III
- David Hurse
- Joey Wiles
- Craig Howard
Round 1 Region 3
Matchup #1
Corky Rogers vs Craig Howard
Corky Rogers (Bolles/Lee)
Legendary high school football coach Charles “Corky” Rogers capped a 45-year career following the 2016 season that produced the most wins, state titles (10), championship game appearances, Hall of Fame inductions and collegiate players of any coach in Florida.
Rogers finished his coaching career with a 466-85-1 record, accumulating a 141-39-1 record at Lee from 1972-1988 and 325-46 at Bolles from 1989 through 2016.
He became the eighth coach in the history of high school football throughout the nation to reach 400 wins, while also being named the National High School Football Coach of the Year for 2004-05 by the National High School Coaches Association.
Among the Hall of Fames Rogers has been inducted to include: National High School Hall of Fame (2015), Florida Sports Hall of Fame (2013), Robert E. Lee High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame (2013), Gator Bowl Hall of Fame (2012), Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame (2005) and Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame (2002).
He was named the Sunshine Network Coach of the Year (2002), FACA-Dairy Farmers Football Coach of the Year (2002, 2004, 2006, 2008), nominated for NFL High School Coach of the Year (2002) and was head coach of the North-South All-Star Football Classic (1990)
Craig Howard (Nease)
Craig Howard inherited a Nease program, which had only made the playoffs three times prior and won only one playoff game. He turned them into a state power for a four year period.
Howard led the Panthers to the third round in 2004, which led to back-to-back state titles in 2005 and 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2007.
With future Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow playing in his system along with several blue collar type players, the Panthers quickly put Nease on the statewide map.
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Mike Pittman vs David Penland III
Mike Pittman (Suwannee)
Thirty years ago, Mike Pittman turned a struggling Suwannee program into a state power.
A school that dates back to the early 1920s, had no playoff history until Pittman got there.
Making their first playoff appearance in 1987, Suwannee won its first of four straight state titles thanks to the coaching of Pittman.
After the titles came to an end Pittman left in 1996 and the program remained a playoff contender but not on the same level.
David Penland III (U.C.)
He may have not been coaching that long but former UC player and now head coach David Penland III has done a tremendous job with the UC program.
After seeing the program fall on hard times with three consecutive first round losses, Penland took over and has guided the Christians to three state titles in his first five years.
Perhaps none was more impressive than winning a title in his first season in 2012 and he has kept that going winning state titles in 2015 and 2016 the Christians ninth state title.
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Robby Pruitt vs David Hurse
Robby Pruitt (UC/Union County)
While other coaching legends won state titles with private schools, Pruitt (156-28) did the same and then the unthinkable winning several state titles with a public school as well.
At University Christian, Pruitt guided the Christians to seven straight playoff appearances, winning four state titles (87, 89, 91, 92) along with a state runner-up finish in 1990). Pruitt left UC to take over a struggling Union County program and quickly made them into a state power winning three consecutive state titles in 1994-1996 and a state record 52 consecutive victories.
He holds the state record for most consecutive district championships with 12, and has won more state football championships than any other coach in Florida high school history. He became the youngest individual to be inducted into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2000.
In his time at University Christian, Pruitt, who also led the Mighty Christians to a state runner-up finish in 1990, accrued such accolades as Bold City Conference Coach of the Year (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990), Florida Athletic Coaches Association Class A Coach of the Year (1987, 1989), Florida Times-Union Coach of the Year (1987), and Jacksonville Quarterback Club Coach of the Year (1989). Pruitt’s tenure at Union County produced similar results, as his honors include Gainesville Sun Coach of the Year (1994, 1995, 1996), FACA Class 3A Coach of the Year (1994, 1996, 1997), Suwannee Conference Coach of the Year (1995, 1997), FACA Florida Coach of the Year (1996), NFICA National Coach of the Year (1996), and Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year (1998).
David Hurse (Bradford)
For 25 years, David Hurse turned Bradford into a consistent winning program and a state power as well. In the late sixties and for nearly three decades, the Tornadoes were consistently in the playoffs or just missing the playoffs.
Hurse, whom the Bradford stadium is named after, led the Tornadoes to back-to-back state titles in 1965 and 1966 and a state runner-up finish twenty years later in 1985 before retiring after the 1990 season.
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Verlon Dorminey vs Joey Wiles
Verlon Dorminey (Trinity)
Verlon Dorminey not only sees the day to day operations of his own team he also oversees the entire athletic program.
Others could take a few pointers from him as Dorminey who took over the football program in 1991 and made the top program in the state.
In 25 years at Trinity, Dorminey has accumulated a 244-61 record, won 16 straight district titles (nine in a row), 13 region titles (6 in a row), seven state titles (four in a row) and finished state runner-up twice (1999, 2009).
Trinity has tied a longtime state record for consecutive state titles with four in a row and will look to break the record with its fifth state title in 2017 despite moving up two classes.
Joey Wiles (St. Augustine)
He had a 198-42 record with the Yellow Jackets, 242-82 overall.
He arrived at St. Augustine High in 1996 and led the Yellow Jackets to a state championship game five years later. His Jackets won the Class 3A state championship in 2005, were runners-up twice (2001 and 2007) and advanced to the state semifinals five times.
His teams averaged 9.9 wins and just 2.1 losses per year. In his final season, his team advanced to the state playoffs for the 16th consecutive year and stretched its district winning streak to 50 games. That remarkable streak began in 2003 and finally ended on Oct. 23, when host Nease defeated St. Augustine 23-20 in overtime.
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