JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Bradford has some big coaching shoes to fill after announcing the departure of head football coach Jamie Rodgers on Tuesday afternoon.
Rodgers is coming off an 11-2 season that ended with a loss to Cocoa in the regional finals.
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Notable football coaching changes
| School | Former coach | New coach |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford | Jamie Rodgers | TBA |
| Brunswick | Garrett Grady | TBA |
| Camden County | Travis Roland/Jon Lindsey | TBA |
| Hilliard | Matt Yancey | Will Dyal |
| Keystone Heights | Steve Reynolds | Cameron Porch |
| Menendez | Anthony Rivers | Will Sansell |
| Ridgeview | Merlin Smith | Jason Smith |
| Sandalwood | Brad Kessel | Malik Reaves |
| Union County | Lamar Waters (interim) | Robby Pruitt |
The school announced the news in a post on Facebook. Joshua Wilson of FloridaHSFootball.com was the first to report the news.
“After a successful four-year run, the Bradford Tornadoes and Head Football Coach Jamie Rodgers have decided to part ways. We are thankful for his contributions to Bradford High School and our student-athletes,” the statement read. “With a strong foundation already in place, Bradford High School will conduct a thorough search to identify the best possible leader to guide our program into its next chapter. We are excited for what the future holds for Tornado Nation!”
Rodgers has been a head coach at four high schools (Baker County, Bradford, Cook, Ga. and Suwannee) and won wherever he’s been. That included a 29-9 record in three years at his alma mater, Baker County (2016-18). Like the Wildcats, whom Rodgers led to a 13-2 season and the Class 5A state runner-up spot in 2016, he also guided Suwannee to the state semifinals in his second season there in 2014.
Rodgers was honored for his 100th career win on Nov. 3, 2023 against Suwannee.
Rodgers left Baker County for three seasons to coach at Cook where he went 15-19. He returned to Florida in 2022 to take over at Bradford and built the Tornadoes into a powerhouse almost immediately. Bradford’s defense was one of the state’s best under Rodgers, and he led the team to the Class 2S state championship game in 2023. He has more than 120 wins in his coaching career.