Matanzas football coach steps down after one season

Palm Coast Observer
Sports

UPDATED at 2:34 p.m. Thursday

PALM COAST — Matanzas football coach Jeff Nettles has resigned after just one season at the helm, school officials confirmed Jan. 22.

In a statement, Nettles said he has decided to make a professional move back to Clay County. Nettles and his wife, Brittney, own a home in Clay County and are expecting their first child in May.

“This decision is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make, but I know it is best for my growing family at this time,” Nettles wrote. “I have truly enjoyed my short time at Matanzas.”

Nettles took over for Lagocki just more than 12 months ago. Lagocki was the program’s first football coach, going 26-45 over eight seasons.

The Pirates went 3-7 in Nettles’ first season.

After Lagocki stepped down, Matanzas officials sifted through more than 125 applications and took about six weeks before hiring Nettles.

Matanzas Athletics Director Bob Nocella said Jan. 23 that he doesn’t expect to take as long finding the school’s next head football coach.

The job opening was posted on the county’s website and will also be posted to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s website.

“I don’t think we’ll go through the search that we went through last time,” Nocella said. “We will probably entertain a lot of the (people) who applied before, if they reapply. We’re hoping for a quicker process this time.”