Oviedo Needs a Coach (Again) - DJ Mayo leaves for Camden County

[gatorman-uf]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/highschool/football/os-sp-hs-dj-mayo-departs-20200513-zigf7l4qkjd2xjr45wkenbq3ke-story.html

Oviedo High School is once again in search of a head football coach.

Dedrick “DJ” Mayo, who accepted that job in January and had yet to coach his first game for the Lions, stepped down on Monday to become an offensive coordinator for Camden County of Georgia.

It makes him the latest in a long list of high school coaches who have departed Florida in favor of higher-paying positions in Georgia and Alabama.

Justin Barney, a sports editor for WJXT4 television in Jacksonville, Tweeted that the OC position at Camden, which is located in Kingsland, Ga., just above Jacksonville, pays $10,000, “plus quite a few additional days of pay tied to teaching contract”.

The supplement for a head football coach in Seminole County is $3,804.

“The numbers aren’t even close,” Mayo told the Sentinel on Tuesday. “Georgia is a different beast financially for coaches. I have a daughter and this was an offer I couldn’t turn down."

The Sentinel left messages seeking comments from Oviedo principal Trent Daniel and athletic director Jen Darty.

“Everybody told me it was a no-brainer when Camden offered,” Mayo said. "The only reason it took me two weeks to say yes was how great Oviedo was. Dr. Daniel is everything you want in a principal. Honestly, the whole administration was so supportive. Everything they said they would do for us they did.

“And we had over 70 kids coming in at 5:55 a.m. every day (before the coronavirus shutdown in mid-March) for mat drills. Oviedo is going to be a very good job for the next guy.”

Mayo made this statement in his own Twitter message: “The administration and kids at Oviedo were TOP NOTCH. Can not say enough how gracious they were. I wish them nothing but the best and will root for them every Friday night.”

The move comes when high school football, which normally would be in the midst of spring practice in Florida, is at a standstill due to the pandemic. High schools in both Florida and Georgia are closed to students for the remainder of the school year.

Oviedo assistant coaches were communicating with players via social media on Tuesday, encouraging them to stay in touch so workout instructions and other football information can be disbursed during the shutdown.

Oviedo parted ways with its previous head coach, Matt Dixon, last November following a 5-5 season. Dixon’s three-year stint as head coach at his high school alma mater was marred by allegations of bullying by coaches and hazing among players. He was retained as a teacher by the Seminole County Public Schools district while it investigated those charges last fall. Dixon told the Sentinel he remains on staff as the 2019-20 school year winds down with teachers using distance learning tools.

Mayo was head coach at Port Orange Atlantic in Volusia County for the past two seasons. The Sharks, who were winless in 2017, went 5-4 and then 8-4 under his direction and scored the program’s first playoff victory in 23 years.

Camden won Georgia state championships in 2003, 2008 and 2009. The Wildcats were 8-3 last season for their best finish in three seasons under head coach Bob Sphire.

Mayo said he met and had lunch with Sphire, who has 300 career wins, last summer and stayed in touch.

[badbird]

smart move.  I told you he wouldn't be at Oviedo long.  I didn't realize he wouldn't see the season.  If Camden does well he could easily parlay that into a 100k head job next year in Georgia.  Best of luck to Coach Mayo.  

 

[HornetFan]

On 5/13/2020 at 9:11 PM, badbird said:

smart move.  I told you he wouldn't be at Oviedo long.  I didn't realize he wouldn't see the season.  If Camden does well he could easily parlay that into a 100k head job next year in Georgia.  Best of luck to Coach Mayo.  

 

It's not a great time to be an Oviedo HS football fan. Oviedo has gone through several football coaches in the past two seasons. They had the hazing incident this past season. Players have transferred to other schools, including two quarterbacks that played most of last season's games. Fortunately, they have a very good QB who will be a sophomore this coming season. They just lost one of the best running backs in the state to graduation. Their problems started a few seasons ago when Hagerty HS, the newer high school in Oviedo, starting picking up some of the better talent coming out of Oviedo's very good youth football programs. They need to name a coach real soon or this coming season could be a mess.