Coaching carousel continues to turn
coach Jan. 10. The Kentucky native takes over a program coming off of a 1-9 season after spending the past four years as offensive coordinator at Wauchula Hardee.
Smothers, along with Mikles and Allen, was among 48 applicants for the head job at Oviedo High, which was filled last month by DJ Mayo.
In Orange County, Oak Ridge turned to one of its current basketball assistants, Billy Owens, as its head football coach after finishing with a 2-8 record in 2019 under interim coach Kyle Hayes. Owens, who played pro football for the Dallas Cowboys in 1988 and later for the Orlando Predators, was a head basketball coach at University High School of Orlando for seven seasons (2009-16).
Faith Christian promoted longtime assistant Shawn Hardiman to become its third head coach in as many years in place of
Tim Swore, who opted to return to Michigan after going 7-4.
Tavares tabbed Tim Kraemer as its new coach in place of Gary Dugger, who went 5-5 in his only season. Dugger left the area last month to join former Apopka coach Rick Darlington as an assistant at Enterprise High School in Alabama.
Kraemer, a Winter Haven native, served as defensive coordinator with the Bulldogs in 2019 after assisting at Davenport Ridge Community.
Athletic directors at neighboring schools Windermere High and West Orange, along with Lake County’s Mount Dora, said they expect new coaching hires to be made by the end of the month. Windermere opened in relief of West Orange in 2017.