A Florida high school football coach has been fired after losing the first three games of the season and being outscored 166 to 0.
According to USA Today, Dan Nieoboer was the first-year head coach of the Lely High School football program. He had previously served as the defensive coordinator on a state championship-winning team in Texas and has more than 25 years of coaching experience. But that depth of knowledge did not help Nieoboer at Lely.
Following his hiring, Lely saw a mass exodus of players. Several student-athletes transferred to neighboring high schools, including the four-star quarterback and an upperclassman running back who were integral to Lely’s success on the field last year.
So far this season, the Trojans were defeated by Gulf Coast High School, Immokalee High School and Naples High School, all without scoring a single point.
"After careful consideration, a decision has been made to pursue a change in direction for the head football coach position," Lely principal Jennifer Bledsoe said in a letter to families. "As a result, Coach Dan Nieboer is no longer serving as head coach of the Trojans football program. Our building administration, including our school's Activities Coordinator, worked closely with Coach Nieboer to establish a plan focused on player development and the overall operation of the program. Ultimately, we determined that a leadership change was necessary to best support the future success of our students and program as a whole.”
Lely has appointed assistant football coach Carlos Cornelio, as well as the school’s varsity baseball coach, to serve as co-interim head coaches of the football team.
Prior to Nieoboer taking the helm of the football program, the Trojans had been to the playoffs twice in three years, including a semifinals appearance. The previous head coach, Ben Hammer, was let go after three seasons with the team.
