Coaches Confidential: Who is the best football head coach in the Volusia-Flagler area?
Editor's note: This is the fourth of a five-part series released once weekly over the first half of the high school football season.
Under the promise of anonymity, what would Volusia-Flagler high school football coaches say when asked about peers, players and venues in the area?
Well, we wanted to find out. After assuring their identities would remain off record, we asked coaches from around the two counties a series of questions and will release those answers in a weekly installment, "Coaches Confidential." To garner responses, we sent out a questionnaire via email, asking about players on offense and defense, peers in coaching and places to play as we head into the thick of the 2023 season.
Today's question: Who is the toughest opposing coach to play against?
Here are the top responses:
Rick Darlington, DeLand
Darlington has the Bulldogs off to a 2-1 start in his second year at the helm. Prior to arriving in DeLand, he won three state championships at Apopka.
“Rick Darlington brings a very hard scheme to prepare for and one that you don't see very often in today's game. He also brings championship pedigree.”
“It’s Rick Darlington and that single wing offense.”
“Coach has won three state championships, that should say all that needs to be said. He knows the single wing inside and out. He’s a legend.”
“Other teams have started to run the Single Wing but no one does it quite like them.”
John Wilkinson, New Smyrna Beach
A winner of four state titles while at Cocoa, Wilkinson is now the area's third-longest tenured coach, having been with the Barracudas since 2018. NSB is currently 3-0.
“Always gets his kids up to play and always has some BS up his sleeve offensively when he needs it.”
“I’ll go with John Wilkinson. Won four rings at Cocoa, he knows what he’s doing. If he had the talent at NSB, we’d all be in trouble.”
Andy Price, Spruce Creek
Speaking of undefeated, Price has the Hawks at 4-0 and is now 68-41 since taking over at Spruce Creek in 2013.
“Coach Price has done it at a consistently high level for many years. He is one of the coaches who really coaches the right way!”
“Andy Price, because he makes you prepare for so much motion and shifting when getting prepared to play against his offense.”
Travis Roland, Mainland
Roland took the Buccaneers to the Class 3S state title game in his second year at the helm last year. Mainland is ranked No. 1 and is off to a 4-0 start.
“His defense brings multiple pressures and offensively, they always seem to be physical and challenge you vertically.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school football: Volusia-Flagler area coaches pick best coach
