Nature Coast Tech hires Justin Worden as next head coach

Nature Coast Tech has found their new head man after a month-plus long search.

Justin Worden, was hired late Friday, which was first announced by the Hernando Today on Twitter.

Nature Coast AD Kristin Peeples has just announced the hiring of Justin Worden, an assistant at Oak Ridge, as the new football head coach.

— HernandoToday Sports (@herntodaysports) January 10, 2014

Worden, who is no stranger to coaching high school football in this state, he has been an assistant at Oak Ridge High School in Orlando under Elijah Williams for the past five seasons. Before Oak Ridge, Worden was at Astronaut High School in Titusville under current head coach Randy Hallock. He credits both coaches and his dad for preparing him to get the job.

However, this is will be Worden’s first job as a head coach and he couldn’t be anymore excited about the opportunity.

But it was not about just about getting any head coaching job for Worden. It was about getting a job where he could lay down a foundation for the team.

“It was one of the one’s [head coaching jobs] that came open early and they had a lot of younger kids, underclassmen that could really go it looked like, so I thought that would be a good opportunity to kind of lay down the foundation and build upon it.,” Worden said.

And he won’t have to look far at all to start laying that foundation as Nature Coast Tech returns offensive tackle Christian Pellage, who is already receiving offers that include Miami and UCF.

“In all honesty, he is one of those ones that has been sneaky, because I haven’t heard a whole lot about him until I got looking at the Hudl. Just as far as an athlete, finding an athlete  that is that big and moves that well, is just phenomenal.”

Worden expects to start with Nature Coast Tech no later than the first week of February and his first tasks will be to assemble a staff, installing his own condition program and getting ready for spring football. He also told Florida HS Football that he will be the boys weightlifting coach alongside his duties as head football coach.

“I have really enjoyed the couple of places I have been. I have been blessed to been part of some good staffs and some really good football teams and made good relationships. I am just excited to get my own show and kind of do what they have been doing {other coaches], you know get these kids opportunities to earn free education and hopefully have them come back and coach for me. That has always been the biggest thing to me.,” Worden said.

With Worden’s hiring at Nature Coast Tech, it all three high schools in Brooksville have now filled their head coaching positions that also includes Brooksville Central and Hernando.