You’ve voted and now we are down to the Final Four. As voted by the fans, the top four High School coaches in Northeast Florida! We have a representative from Basketball going up against a representative from Wrestling. We also have a representative from Baseball going against a representative from Football. What sport they coached doesn’t matter in this, it’s all about coaching ability, championships and consistency. Who is the best?
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Here is where we began…
Now here is where we stand….
Bernard Wilkes was able to outlast fellow Ribault and Basketball legend Al Austin in our elite 8! It was a very close vote, but torn fans went with the originator of the Ribault press. Gill Morales keeps upsetting legendary coaches who have since retired. His legend grows with every victory in our Best of the Best. Robby Pruitt and Corky Rogers could have easily been our championship round. For Pruitt to gain a victory over the “Great One” himself speaks to the validity of being the best. And speaking of the best, Reape is wrestling’s Vince McMahon around these parts. He is the one that other wrestling programs attempt to emulate, he advanced over Soccer great David Silverberg.
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Now.. Let’s Vote!
Bernard Wilkes vs Jim Reape
Bernard Wilkes
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. He is regarded by many Ribault basketball greats as the originator of the tenacious style of play that Ribault deploys. If this is the case, the late great Wilkes can be credited for some of the Girl’s basketball successes in later years as well.
Jim Reape
There is only one name that comes to mind when it comes to wrestling in the area and that is Jim Reape. The longtime coach at Clay has been the model of consistency for any sports program locally and statewide. Since taking over the program in 1994, Reape has won 18 consecutive district titles, 16 regional championships, six state runner-up finishes (1999, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017) and one state title in 2004. Reape has also had the pleasure of coaching 22 Individual State Champs, 106 State Placers and 9 Florida Times Union Wrestlers of the Year winners. Reape received the highest honor among coaches in 2016 by being voted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
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Gill Morales vs Robby Pruitt
Robby Pruitt
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).
Gill Morales
There arn’t many coaches that can say they won titles at two different schools? One was Pruitt as mentioned above, but the other is none other than Gill Morales. Morales has won state titles at both Eagles View (2005, 2007, 2008) and Trinity (2015).
Since 2004, Morales has been to the Final Four six times (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2015).
He has been a designated hitter in terms of coaching by stepping into different programs and hitting home runs in the process. He was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year in 2015. He is one of the most beloved coaches in our area because he is a players coach. Everyone who plays for Morales enjoys the game.
