Niceville football names 7 finalists for HC position. Meet the candidates
Seth Stringer
- Niceville High School has narrowed down its search for a new head football coach to seven finalists.
- The finalists include coaches with state championships, collegiate experience, and deep ties to successful programs.
- The candidates will be interviewed this week, and the school plans to recommend their selection at the April 14 School Board meeting.
It's interview week at Niceville High School.
Yes, following the stunning resignation from Grant Thompson as Niceville head football coach on March 5 following a 64-10 tenure over six seasons, the creme of the of crop has emerged in seven finalists who'll interview in person this week for one of the most prep football jobs in the Sunshine State.
“The NHS Steering Committee had an incredibly challenging task narrowing down the final interview list," Niceville Principal Charlie Marello said. "We had nearly 70 applicants from all over the country with unbelievable track records of success and championships.”
From state champions to former collegiate coaches and analysts, these are the seven finalists (in alphabetical order) in the running.
Patrick Fox, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep HC
Fox led the Fighting Irish to a MHSAA Division 5 state championship this past season, its first ever as he was named MHSFCA State of Michigan Coach of the Year and Detroit Free Press Coach of the Year. At Pontiac Notre Dame Prep since 2014, he's been named the MHSFCA Regional Coach of the Year in 1994, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2022, 2023 and 2024 and has a career record of 239-140.
Richard Morgan, former Marietta HC and Oscar Smith HC
Morgan is no stranger winning the big games, leading Marietta High School in Georgia to a state title in 2019 and Oscar Smith High School in Virginia to two more prior. Morgan has 224 Career Wins (.716 winning percentage), eight Final Fours, 15 Elite Eights and is 3-for-5 in his state championship trips. He has coached 185 college football players and seven NFL players and produced 21 All American selections, five State Players of the Year and two Gatorade National Players of the Year.
Anthony Paradiso, Tohopekaliga HC
Paradiso is no stranger to being a finalist for this role, having previously made the short list in 2019 when legendary John Hicks stepped down. Paradiso is currently the head coach at Tohopekaliga High School in Kissimmee, Florida, with previous head coaching stints at Lake Nona High School, Cypress Creek High School and Crystal River High School. Paradiso has previously won the 3A and 5A State Coach of the Year Awards and coached seven NCAA Division I quarterbacks.
Bobby Ramsay, Andrew Jackson HC
Ramsay, currently the HC at Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, Florida, with previous head coaching stops at Mandarin High School and Yulee High School, led Mandarin to an 8A state championship in 2018 and was named Florida Dairy Farmer's Coach of the Year that year. Ramsay has a career record of 104-71 and was also named FACA 4A District Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Adron Robinson, Niceville Associate HC
Robinson, an Eagles alumnus, has deep roots with the program after helping lead Niceville football to its lone state title in 1988. In that 5A state championship he delivered two TDs and an interception. Now, since 2010, he's served multiple roles on the coaching staff, most notably working with running backs and being the recruiting coordinator. Robinson was named the Mickey Andrews Assistant Coach of the Year in 2021 by the Northwest Florida All Sports Association, and he's also the head coach of the girls' flag football team and teaches World History and Constitutional Law at NHS.
Chandler Tygard, Cleveland HC
Tygard has both college and high school ties. He's currently the head coach at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Tennessee, after head coaching stints at Blackman High School in Tennessee and North Jackson High School in Alabama. He is a national clinic speaker and football analytics consultant with 20 years of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA, and high school levels. Tygard was an assistant coach for Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, and Phillip Fulmer at the University of Tennessee.
David White, Westmoore HC
White has coached all over, from the collegiate ranks to the prep stadiums. He is currently the head coach at Westmoore High School in Moore, Oklahoma, after previous head coaching stints at Jackson Hole High School in Wyoming, Blue Springs High School in Missouri, Ridgeland High School in Mississippi and Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. White coached collegiately at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Nevada and his references include Bob Stoops (Florida), Brent Venables (Oklahoma) and Josh Heupel (Tennessee).
“What was different from the applicant pool in 2019 is how hooked in these guys are at the college level," Marello said. "In doing their reference checks, I talked to some big-name college coaches that we’ve all seen on ESPN. I offered my services as the future Director of Football Operations to James Franklin at Penn State but he didn’t seem very interested. Had to shoot my shot.”
After the interviews, Niceville plans to recommend their selection at the April 14 School Board meeting.