Oviedo moves on after allegations
Oviedo football is among five area programs in search of new head coaches after the school parted ways with alum Matt Dixon last week.
Dixon, who has overseen a program that’s faced allegations of bullying by coaches and hazing among players since taking the job in 2017, will remain employed at Oviedo as a teacher, according to a spokesperson at Seminole County Public Schools.
Dixon and Oviedo athletic director Jen Darty have not responded to requests for comment through emails, text messages and phone calls from the Orlando Sentinel. Oviedo principal Trent Daniel declined to speak the Sentinel about assault allegations involving football players when approached by a Sentinel reporter during the team’s final regular season game on Nov. 2.
“The school’s principal made the decision regarding [the] new direction for the Oviedo High School football program,” SCPS communications officer Micheal Lawrence wrote via email Monday when asked about Dixon’s exit from the football program. “The superintendent fully supports the school’s (principal’s) decision in this matter.”
Lawrence said the school district is close to finalizing its investigation into assault allegations involving players, which was reported last month.
Dixon, a 2004 Oviedo grad, was cleared of a hazing allegation in 2016 as head coach at Port Orange Atlantic, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. He went 19-12 In three seasons with the Lions. Oviedo finished 5-5 this fall.
Windermere High, Mount Dora, Deltona High and Deltona Pine Ridge are also on the market for new football coaches.
Interim tags were removed from coaches at West Orange and Tohopekaliga during the regular season.
Mike McGlynn stepped in for Dee Brown at West Orange in September after the first-year coach was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation by Orange County Public Schools. An OCPS spokesperson told the Sentinel on Nov. 19 details pertaining to the investigation could be available as early as next month. The Warriors lost their last four games to finish with a 4-6 record.
Marc Deas took over for Anthony Davis at second-year Tohopekaliga during the preseason. Deas, who was the first assistant hired by Davis at the school in 2018, led the Tigers from a 2-7 debut to a 7-4 finish this fall, which included a win in a postseason bowl game.
Windermere’s Fred Priest initially planned on coaching one more year prior to retiring, but hip surgery scheduled for the summer will cause him to miss too much time entering the 2020 season.
“I feel like we’ve done what we set out to do with setting a foundation here, for understanding what it takes to improve and what commitment looks like,” Priest said.
Winderemere finished 1-9 in Priest’s second season after losing eight starters to season-ending injuries by the middle of the year. Priest finishes with a 90-89 record in 16 seasons as a head coach.
Ongoing medical issues forced Allen “B.J.” Johnson to step down from his role as head coach at Deltona two weeks ago after going 26-43-1 in seven seasons.
“Once these issues are taken care of I will be looking forward to getting back on the sidelines somewhere,” Johnson said via text.
Frank Scott resigned from his coaching duties two weeks ago, but he remains a teacher at Mount Dora after going 8-12 in two seasons. Mount Dora athletic director Bill Larkin said the plan is to have a new coach in place in time for the second semester.
Kenny Pickens informed players at Pine Ridge of his decision to step down as head coach on Nov. 6 after going 3-27 the past three seasons. He also remains at his school as a teacher.
“Coach Pickens and I met prior to the announcement and agreed on the need to move in a different direction with the program as we look to the future,” Pine Ridge principal Paul Nehrig said in a statement.