Apopka football coach Darlington set to resign

One of the most successful high school football coaches in the state is stepping down from his post at Apopka for the second time.

Rick Darlington is expected to be named the new head coach at Enterprise High School in Alabama following a city school board meeting there Thursday morning.

The Apopka Chief newspaper posted on social media Wednesday that Darlington had alerted his current players of the decision to resign.

Darlington was contacted by the Sentinel, but he declined to comment on his departure until Thursday.

The Apopka football coaching vacancy was posted on the FHSAA website this week.

He leaves Apopka as a three-time state champion with a 167-47 record in 17 seasons, including a 31-13 record in the playoffs. The Blue Darters finished 8-4 this season and reached the Class 8A region semifinals.

Apopka athletic director Russell Wambles said there is no timeline in place for finding a new coach, but that the school will look for a candidate who “gives our kids a chance to be successful both on and off the field,” much in the same way Darlington had during his tenure.

“He’s one of the most successful coaches in the history of Central Florida,” said Wambles, who grew up in Apopka. “But it’s not only about winning football games. He’s done a tremendous job at building young men and running a highquality program known for sportsmanship and doing things the right way.”

Shortly after guiding the Blue Darters to the state title in 2001, Darlington went 26-14 at Valdosta, Ga., from 2003-05. He returned to Apopka and won two more state championships in 2012 and 2014 while also finishing runners-up in 2013.

Darlington owns a career head coaching record of 214-73, which includes a 21-12 stint as coach at Eustis from 1996-98.

Should things go as planned, Darlington will succeed David Faulkner at Enterprise, who resigned last month after finishing 38-38 with four trips to the state playoffs in seven seasons. The Wildcats finished a combined 4-16 over the past two seasons after going 10-2 in 2016.

Enterprise, located roughly 130 miles northwest of Tallahassee, owns a 644-320-34 all-time record with state championship wins in 1979 and 1982, according to the Alabama High School Football Historical Society.