Two weeks after Mainland filled its football coaching vacancy, crosstown rival Seabreeze will undergo a search of its own.
Lester Davis told The News-Journal he resigned his position Wednesday after one season in charge of the Sandcrabs, his alma mater. Davis previously served as the defensive coordinator at Mainland under Travis Roland, who departed for Camden County (Ga.) on Feb. 28.
Davis guided the Sandcrabs to a 4-6 record in 2023, scoring 25.2 points and allowing 29.1 per game. Seabreeze will need to hire a coach for the second straight spring as Pat Brown left last February to become the wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator at four-time NCAA Division II national champion Valdosta State.
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“I felt like the opportunity to coach my alma mater is something most people don’t get,” Davis said. “The opportunity to bring Seabreeze back to prominence is something we were about to hit. It’s a bittersweet moment to leave.
“It’s more the relationships with these children that’s the bittersweet part. You hope you have some type of lasting impact in their lives, and it’s for the better.”
There will be, at minimum, five new coaches in the Volusia-Flagler area for the upcoming football season. Squatty Bell took over at Mainland after three seasons at Atlantic, which is still undergoing an active search. Greg Miller was hired at Pine Ridge in December, and Allen Johnson returned to Trinity Christian, where he coached from 2004-12.
The FHSAA’s first permissible non-contact date for spring football practices is April 29. Seabreeze is scheduled to host Fleming Island in a spring game at 6 p.m. May 23 at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
