The area high school football coaching carousel has seven coaches in new spots.
Two of the new coaches were at Braden River High, one, Curt Bradley, for a dozen years and the other, Eric Sanders, for a handful of months.
The other five come from outside the area with four receiving their first high school coaching job.
The combined record of the seven schools last year was 30-40, so work needs to be done in some spots.
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Here's a list of the new coaches, who they replaced, and an analysis of how they may fare in 2024.
Ace Sanders, Bayshore High
Old Coach: Jamaal Sanders
Analysis: A former Manatee High, University of South Carolina, and Jacksonville Jaguars player, Ace Sanders gets his first high school coaching gig, taking over a Bruins’ program that has not qualified for the playoffs since 2005 and has not had a winning season since going 10-2 in 2003 under current Bethune Cookman University football coach Raymond Woodie Jr. Jamaal Sanders, who coached Bayshore the past four seasons, took a non-coaching position at another school. The Bruins went 8-28 under Jamaal Sanders.
Jason Grain, Braden River High
Old Coaches: Curt Bradley, Eric Sanders
Analysis: First, the Pirates replaced Bradley with Sanders, who was the offensive coordinator. When Sanders went to Palmetto High, Braden River turned to Jason Grain, who coached at Oasis Charter High School in Cape Coral for the past three seasons. A former offensive lineman at the University of Southern California blocking for Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer, Grain was an assistant coach at Booker High, so he has ties to the area.
Jacob Spess, Bradenton Christian School
Old Coach: Nate Strawderman
Analysis: A former cornerback at Oklahoma Baptist University, defensive assistant at Southern Methodist, and defensive backs coach at Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma, Spess lands his first head coaching position with the Panthers. A former high school quarterback, Strawderman coached Bradenton Christian for one season, going 7-2 and reaching the Sunshine State Athletic Association playoffs. Strawderman originally took a position as offensive coordinator at Palmetto High, but now will be the associate head coach at Out-of-Door Academy, where he played baseball and football.
Eric Sanders, Palmetto High
Old Coach: Rashad West
Analysis: The long-time offensive coordinator at Braden River High under Curt Bradley, Sanders accepted the head coaching job at Braden River and coached throughout the spring before jumping to Palmetto High, which has qualified for the playoffs for the past seven seasons under former coaches Dave Marino and Rashad West. A former coach at Southeast High (one season) and Lakewood Ranch High (four seasons), West stepped down after one season with the Tigers. Palmetto went 5-5 last season.
Chris Valcarcel, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal
Old Coach: A.J. Brown
Analysis: Out of coaching for the past four seasons, Valcarcel jumps back in with his first head coaching job, taking over the highly successful Falcons’ program. Valcarcel has coaching in his bloodlines, as his father Mario was the football coach at Bayshore High. A.J. Brown guided Saint Stephen’s the past four seasons to a 20-15 mark, including going 8-3 last season when the Falcons lost the Sunshine State Athletic Association 5A state championship. Brown will remain at the school as the track and field coach.
Anthony “Amp” Campbell, Sarasota High
Old Coach: Josh Phillips
Analysis: A former Riverview High assistant, Campbell has plenty of coaching experience on the collegiate level at Ferris State, Western Michigan, Kent State, Lane College, and Alabama State after a playing career at Michigan State and Riverview High. Campbell becomes the Sailors’ fourth coach in the past seven seasons, joining Spencer Hodges, Brody Wiseman, and Josh Phillips, who stepped down after one season to take a position in college before landing a job with the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders. Sarasota went 1-9 last season.
Curt Bradley, Southeast High
Old Coach: Brett Timmons
Analysis: After 12 seasons at Braden River High, Bradley jumped across Manatee County to Southeast High. Bradley went 84-45 with the Pirates, making the postseason nine straight seasons, including six seasons of nine or more victories. Bradley takes over a Seminoles’ program that went 0-10 in 2023 and 1-18 the past two seasons. Brett Timmons coached six seasons without reaching the playoffs and posting an 18-39 mark.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Sarasota, Manatee high school football teams welcoming 7 new head coaches to sidelines in 2024
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