Bill Broxson, Collier County icon and longtime football coach, passes away at 83
Bill Broxson will long be remembered by those who knew him for being more than just a football coach. He was a friend, a mentor, and a role model.
The longtime Collier County football coach and administrator passed away at the age of 83 at his South Georgia home on Tuesday.
Broxson coached at Immokalee, Naples, Lely, and Barron Collier, compiling a 103-47-6 record over three decades. He also served as Barron Collier's athletic director for 15 years and as a Naples High administrator, including the Dean of Students for his final 7 years before retiring in 2004.
"He was a type of person that would help anybody any way he could," said Tom Rife, the longtime Naples Daily News Sports Editor. "... Him and his family were wonderful folks. They would bend over backwards to do anything they could for anybody, myself included. He was a tough football coach. Times were different. He was well-liked."
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Rife and The Naples Daily News created the Broxson Trophy in 2000, named after the coach, and has awarded it every season to Collier County's best all-around football player.
"Everybody had a lot of respect for Mr. Broxson," Rife said. "That's why I wanted to establish something in his name while he was still there and still active. He was so appreciative of the fact that I would start an award for the best football player in the county and start that in his name. He was so grateful for that. I did that because of his history with having coached at Immokalee, having coached at Naples, having coached at Lely, and having been the AD and coach at Barron. At that time, those were all the schools we had."
"I was speechless when asked about naming the award after me," Broxson said in a 2004 Naples Daily News article. "I sent all the articles to my daddy. My mother had passed away. I sent it to my brother and sisters and of course all the kids. They're still talkin' about it."
When Bill Kramer came to Naples from Hialeah American in 1998 to take over the Golden Eagles football program, Broxson was serving as an assistant principal at the school. Kramer described Broxson as the kind of person who would put his arm around you during stressful times, adding that the longtime coach was able to lead by example on a variety of issues.
“Bubba’s a legend,” said Kramer, who resigned as Naples coach in 2019 after 22 years. “Couldn’t be more cordial, kind, calm. He’d seen it all, you know?
“There were intense rivalries in town … He bridged all of that. I don’t know anybody that didn’t admire Coach Broxson. He was always just so levelheaded. As an administrator, regardless of the situation, he was unflappable.”
After graduating from Auburn in 1961, Broxson immediately got into coaching football and basketball for Carrall High in Alabama for one season before moving to coach basketball and football at Pinecrest High outside of Tampa for two years. He applied for and within days was hired at Immokalee to coach football and teach, moving to Collier County in the summer of 1964.
Broxson went on to find success with Naples becoming the head football and track coach in 1971, as Lely's first varsity football coach starting in 1975, and Barron Collier, where he was hired as athletic director in 1979 and coached the football team from 1981-83.
But it was the wins off the field that made Broxson such an influential and inspiring figure.
“I’m just stunned,” longtime Naples athletic director Ernie Modugno said. “I’m shocked. Bill was a good friend. He loved being in the school and being a part of that culture. He had quite a history in the school district, and he was a great storyteller. I love listening to Bill’s stories, his football coaching stories, his athletic director stories."
Modugno, another longtime fixture within the county, was working alongside Broxson at Naples. The two would be on cafeteria duty together and would trade stories.
“The young men who played for him, they loved him," Modugno said. "They love him forever. He really connected with kids – I know that.”
Broxson’s legacy will be long remembered after his passing.
“Well, I think he’s a legend. He’s an icon,” Modugno said. “He was a highly respected football coach, teacher, and athletic director, and his legacy is going to live for a very long time.”
Bill Broxson's notable accolades
The News-Press Coach of the Year (1966 and 1967)
Certificate of Distinguished Service (1967)
Class 3A-District 12 Coach of the Year (1975)
His overall coaching record was 164-62-13.
Recognized by Collier County Public Schools after 40 years of service
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This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Longtime football coach, Collier County legend Bill Broxson dies at 83
