EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is from the press release from the Florida Dairy Farmer’s announcement of the 2016 Coach of the Year for Florida.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Billy Rolle of Miami Southridge High School has been named the 2016 Florida Dairy Farmers Football Coach-of-the-Year following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school football coaches and media representatives.
Rolle, who also was named the state’s top coach in 2007, became the first coach in Florida prep football history to lead three different programs to state titles, adding this year’s Class 8A title at Southridge to earlier titles at Miami Northwestern (1998 and 2007) and Miami Killian (2004).
In compiling a 12-2 mark in 2016, Northwestern stormed back from a 2-2 record at midseason to record seven consecutive shutout victories, including two in the first two rounds of the state playoffs, finishing off its 10-game winning streak with a come-from-behind 14-10 victory over Dr. Phillips in the state championship game.
Rolle garnered nine first-place votes and 164 points to finish ahead of Class 4A Coach-of-the-Year Johnny Wilkinson of Cocoa (138) and Class 1A COY Orson Walkes of Pahokee (122). Rounding out the voting were Class 5A COY Matt Toblin of Ponte Vedra (111), Class 7A COY O.J. Small of Jacksonville Lee (101), Class 6A COY Doug DeMyer of Lake Gibson (98), Class 3A COY Dameon Jones of Chaminade-Madonna (78), Independent COY Keith Allen of King’s Academy (75) and Class 2A COY Dennis Marroquin of Champagnat Catholic (73).
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This marks the 25th year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 FHSAA sanctioned and recognized sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Past Football Coaches of the Year:
1992 – Wally Dunne, Coral Springs
1993 – Paul Maechtle, Bradenton Southeast
1994 – Rod Shafer, Lake Wales
1995 – Bob Withrow, Jacksonville Sandalwood
1996 – Robby Pruitt, Union County
1997 – Danny Green, Lake City Columbia
1998 – Bill Castle, Lakeland
1999 – Milton Watson, Glades Central
2000 – Nick Coleman, Venice
2001 – Al Morrell, Clewiston
2002 – Richard Wood, Tampa Wharton
2003 – Bill Kramer, Naples
2004 – Bill Castle, Lakeland
2005 – Joey Wiles, St. Augustine
2006 – Robert Weiner, Tampa Plant
2007 – Billy Rolle, Miami Northwestern
2008 – Robert Weiner, Tampa Plant
2009 – John Wilkinson, Cocoa
2010 – Dale Salapa, Orlando Dr. Phillips
2011 – Robert Craft, Tallahassee North Florida Christian
2012 – Tim Harris, Sr., Miami Booker T. Washington
2013 – Tim Harris, Sr., Miami Booker T. Washington
2014 – Tim Harris, Jr., Miami Booker T. Washington
2015 – Deran Wiley, Raines
