Wekiva hires former Edgewater RB as coach
Wekiva High School announced the hiring of former Edgewater running back Jeremiah Rodriguez-Schwartz as its new head football coach in a social media post Thursday morning.
Schwartz, a 2008 Edgewater graduate who played collegiately at Iowa State and Hampton University, spent the past three seasons as offensive coordinator at Orangewood Christian under Bill Gierke, his former high school coach. Schwartz also served as an Oak Ridge assistant in 2017 following stops at Miami Norland and Hialeah Gardens.
Schwartz landed his first head coaching gig this week after previously applying for vacancies at Oviedo, Seminole, East Ridge and Lyman over the past year. He and Gierke were both among nine finalists and 46 applicants in all for the Wekiva job, according to Orange County Public Schools.
Wekiva athletic director Bobby Biaggi and first-year principal Tamara Baker-Drayton stated that they were not permitted by the school district to comment on the hiring when reached by the Orlando Sentinel.
The Wekiva football opening came after penalties were placed on the program by the Florida High School Athletic Association for the Mustangs’ role in a post-game altercation following a 24-18 home playoff loss Nov. 27 vs. Mitchell High of New Port Richey.
The program was placed on administrative probation through the end of June 2022, barred from playing a spring game in 2021, and fined $500 by the FHSAA.
The altercation resulted in Rich Bedesem being relieved of head coaching duties on Dec. 7 and the suspension of 10 players from interscholastic activities.
Bedesem went 43-16 in five seasons with the Mustangs while leading the program to a state semifinal in 2017 and region final in 2018.
Bedesem, who stayed on at Wekiva as a teacher, was not reprimanded by OCPS for the November incident and has no prior marks on his record in seven years as a head coach and teacher, according to OCPS documents.
Former St. Cloud offensive coordinator Joe Rienzi was officially approved this week to become head coach at first-year Lake Buena Vista, one of two new high schools opening in Orange County this fall.
Football coaching vacancies remain at three schools in the Orlando area.
Kissimmee Tohopekaliga, Orangewood Christian and first-year Horizon High, located in Winter Garden, are expected to name head coaches in the coming weeks.
Recent coaching hires include Kenard Lang at Evans, Zach Barrett at Orlando University and Jermel Jones at Lyman.
Foundation Academy’s Andre Walker and Windermere Prep’s Brian Simmons were both promoted to head coaching roles after serving as assistants in recent years at their respective schools.