Coaching revolving door finally slow down
The final wave of area high school football coaching vacancies was filled last month when Eustis, Mount Dora, Windermere High and Winter Springs all announced new hires.
Frank Scott made the move from Mount Dora to nearby Eustis to take over for Mike Hay, who stepped away from the program after leading the Panthers to a 30-51 record through eight seasons.
Hay remains on staff at Eustis as a teacher and assistant athletic director and plans to pursue an administration role with Lake County Schools. He filled in as varsity baseball coach at Eustis last spring after long-time coach David Lee suffered heart failure and later died before the start of the season.
“His character and dedication are unsurpassed,” Eustis principal Tracy Clark said in a statement. “He has always demonstrated a genuine commitment to his players, coaches and our EHS family. We hold Mike Hay in highest regard.”
Scott, a 1999 Evans High graduate and former Florida A&M baseball player, was head coach of the Mount Dora baseball team from 2007-15. He led the Hurricanes to the state semifinals in 2011 with the help of Hay, who served as a baseball assistant before taking the Eustis football job a year later.
Scott later took over as Mount Dora’s head football coach in 2018 after serving as an assistant with that program for 12 years. Mount Dora went 8-12 over the past two seasons.
“Coach Scott brings great knowledge and leadership along with his natural ability to build solid relationships,” Clark said.
Mount Dora has turned to Cameron Porch, who enters his 16th season on the sideline after head coaching stops at Class 1A Bronson and 5A Ridgeview High in Orange Park. He previously served as an assistant at Interlachen, Lakeland Santa Fe, Starke Bradford and Gainesville High.
Porch, a weightlifting coach the past 15 years, was the defensive coordinator at Berrien High School in Nashville, Ga., in 2019.
Windermere also went out of the area to find its third head coach since the school opened in 2017.
Alabama native Derrick Bumpers emerged from a pool of nine applicants to replace Fred Priest.
He joins the Wolverines following a three-year stop at Class 4A South Walton High School in Santa Rosa Beach, where he was the assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach.
Bumpers helped the Seahawks reach the region semifinal round in each of the past two years. He moved to Florida after high school assistant coaching stops in Georgia and Alabama.
Winter Springs promoted a former head coach and long-time administer to take over for Steve Mikles.
Matt Hesselbart, who led the Bears football program from 2009-11, has worked as a teacher, coach, dean and administration manager since the school opened in 1997.
He steps in for Mikles, who is now head coach at Hagerty after leading Winter Springs to a district championship in 2019 and a 7-14 record the past two years.
The spring football season begins April 27.
The Orlando Sentinel coverage area features 13 programs slated to enter the 2020 season under the guidance of new head coaches.