Clay tabs Jay Stilianou as new football coach

Blue Devils remove interim tag from his title; Fla. Deaf also makes hire

Clay's Jay Stilianou watches players during a spring football practice. He was named the school's head coach on Tuesday after serving in an interim role this spring.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Clay has filled its head football coaching vacancy, tabbing interim leader Jay Stilianou as its new coach. 

Stilianou, also the school’s athletic director, had been serving in an interim role since former coach Josh Hoekstra resigned to take an assistant position at Bolles in early April. 

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Stilianou has worn numerous hats at Clay High. 

In addition to his AD role and serving as an assistant on the football team last season, Stilianou was the co-head coach on the flag football team and also the girls basketball coach. He has also been the boys and girls track coach and weightlifting coach for both the boys and girls. 

It caps what has been an active offseason in coaching activity. Stilianou is the 13th new coach on the First Coast area.

Clay and Florida Deaf, which hired former coach Eric LeFors to replace Travis Homewood, were the last two schools in the area to fill their head coaching vacancies.

LeFors' hire is a return to the recent past for the Dragons in St. Augustine. LeFors coached four seasons at Florida Deaf (2012-15) and had four stellar seasons, including a 9-1 mark in 2013 that earned the Dragons the deaf national championship trophy. He was a combined 27-11. 

High school football coaching changes

School, New coach, Former coach

Atlantic Coast, Michael Montemayor, Jimmy Hill

Baker County, Kevin Mays, Jamie Rodgers

Baldwin, Robert Shields, Steve Shields

Bishop Kenny, Tim Krause, Bobby Raulerson

Bolles, Matt Toblin, Wayne Belger

Charlton County, Russ Murray, Rich McWhorter

Clay, Jay Stilianou, Josh Hoekstra

Florida Deaf, Eric LeFors, Travis Homewood

Nease, Collin Drafts, Tim Krause

Ponte Vedra, Jeff DiSandro, Matt Toblin

Ware County, Jason Strickland, Franklin Stephens

White, Lawrence Johnson, Kevin Sullivan

Yulee, Terrance Flagler, Josh Burch 
 


About the Author

Justin Barney joined News4Jax in February 2019, but he’s been covering sports on the First Coast for more than 20 years.

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