Community School of Naples football coach Paul Selvidio steps down after nine seasons

Another Southwest Florida football program will be seeking a new head coach with the season starting in just over three weeks.

Community School coach Paul Selvidio announced his resignation Tuesday morning to the team, becoming the 12th local head coach to step away from their respective programs since last season.

"Yesterday, I announced I am going to be retiring as head coach here," Selvidio told the Naples Daily News on Wednesday. "... I think the program's in a great spot for me to make a transition based on what we've done over the last 10 years. The guys in this room, the coaches on this staff, the facilities that we've built, the academic accomplishments that we've had, the success we've had on the field.

"It's time for me to refocus my attention on some other areas at the school, and in the community, and give back in a different way that I have over the nine, 10 seasons. I've been happy to work alongside some great people and coach alongside some great programs."

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Selvidio took over the Seahawks in 2014, succeeding Damon Jones, and has led the team to a 58-32 record and five FHSAA state playoff appearances. Selvidio will stay at the school, serving as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer.

Athletic Director Eugene Chung will serve as the program's acting head coach, while Chung searches for a head coach before the start of the season. That candidate is likely to be tagged as an interim head coach.

"It's been a pleasure working for coach Selvidio," Chung said. "I couldn't ask for a better person to work for. The culture he's built here at the school, No. 1, and the team, No. 2 is unprecedented. It's amazing what he's done in a relatively short amount of time. When you're talking about football, that's something that's a living, growing organism that can change from year to year with the drop of a hat. He's done a great job, and I hope we can keep that trajectory going with this program and with this school, and for this community.

"I've got my feelers out there, and some ideas as to where I want to go with this. One, it's to keep the community and the team together and keep that bond we have here going in the right direction. I want to make a decision sooner rather than later, and don't want this to drag on. Being AD, I have many hats to wear, but it'll be a smooth transition."

Ben Varga, entering his senior season, admitted receiving the news that Selvidio stepping away was tough. All Varga had known as a head coach was Selvidio, who led the program to the regional finals in Class 2A when he was a freshman in 2020.

"It was disappointing because the whole team loves coach Selvidio," Varga said. "He's been our coach since we were freshmen, and this will be the first year we're with a different coach. We're happy for him. He's moving on, and we're excited about what's next."

Selvidio reflected that the program has come a long way in just under 10 seasons, as the school built the new John N. Allen Family Stadium in 2020, along with a fitness center that was completed last year.

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"It's a good time to go out on my terms when I want to, and when the program can as opposed to when we have to make a change," Selvidio said. "Coming back from the spring of 2014, playing on basically a cow pasture with no stands, no scoreboard, and about a dozen kids to start off, we've come a long way in that time."

Selvidio becomes the second coach in as many weeks to resign as Damon Jones did the same at St. John Neumann last week. Jones, also the Celtics' athletic director, had his replacement on staff as he brought in CSN offensive coordinator Rich Crosby as associate head coach in the spring and Crosby was named the head coach upon JOnes stepping down.

Follow Southwest Florida Sports Writer Alex Martin on Twitter: @NP_AlexMartin. For the best sports coverage in Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: CSN football coach Paul Selvidio steps down after nine seasons