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not so fast my friend!   The Breakdown: Florida SB 538 (2026) & The Future of Coach Pay Florida is finally moving to stop the "brain drain" of elite coaches to Georgia and Alabama. Here is exactly what is on the table for the 2026 season.   1. What the Bill Actually Does The bill SB 538 (and House companion HB 731) changes the game for athletic compensation in three ways: Decouples Coaches from Unions: Coaches will no longer be tied to teacher union collective bargaining for their athletic stipends. They can negotiate individual contracts directly with school boards. Performance Bonuses: For the first time, contracts can include incentive-based pay for hitting milestones like playoff appearances or state titles. Eligibility & Appeals: It streamlines the process for student eligibility, ensuring decisions are made within 20 days so athletes aren't sitting out while paperwork is stuck in limbo.   2. The Booster Club "Booster": More Power, With a Catch Currently, if a booster club wants to pay a coach extra under the table, it’s a major violation. This bill brings that money into the light. The Enhanced Role: School boards are authorized to accept booster donations specifically to fund coaching salaries. This allows "football-crazy" towns to raise the funds needed to hire a top-tier HC without using taxpayer dollars. The Check & Balance: To prevent boosters from "owning" the coach, the law mandates that boosters cannot control the provision of funds. The money must go to the School Board first, which then pays the coach. The board remains the only entity that can hire, fire, or evaluate the coach—not the booster president.   3. The "No Cap" System & Key Supporters The "No Cap" model is the most talked-about feature for big-time programs. How it Works: There is no state-mandated maximum for what a coach can earn. Under this system, a coach’s pay is limited only by what the School Board approves and what the community can raise. If a school and its boosters want to pay $100k+ to match Georgia salaries, this bill provides the legal framework to do it. Who is Backing This: Florida Coaches Coalition (FCC): The primary driver behind the bill, representing over 16,000 coaches. FHSAA: Generally supportive of measures that improve athletic standards and coach retention. State Legislators: Led by Senator Cory Simon (a former FSU and NFL star), who argues that coaches are effectively "mentors" and "CEOs" of large programs who deserve professional-grade pay. The Bottom Line: If this passes, the days of the $4,500 head coaching stipend are over. Florida programs will finally have the tools to keep their best coaches at home.

Hearing Dillard might play a national top 150 team from Jersey you might want to get in the coaches ear about that one. In the national rankings, Dillard wasn’t even top 1,500. Not sure they finished top 100 in Florida.    This would be a blowout and waste of time and money 

You can still school choice all you want but sports has a different set of rules to avoid "transfer for athletics" which is not what school choice is about, which is academics/environment. Cap proposal is a hard 5.  If you are already at the cap then some tough choices will have to be made.  Everyone will agree to these rules because transfers generally only positively impact a handful of teams each year while hurting the overwhelming majority.  The cap limit can be adjusted based upon actual data rather than an arbitrary "fair number" that popped into my head.  Remember, this rule is the save the FHSAA because too many schools are punching out.

I would encourage people to look at SB538 and how it applies to coaches' salaries. It does not set a minimum salary (as the Coaches' Coalition has repeatedly advocated); it simply takes the power to negotiate stipends away from the unions and gives it unilaterally to school boards. School boards MAY (not required to) set coaching stipends at whatever they want while negotiating with the coach, without regard to the union contract.  If (and when) this passes, it will not solve the problem systematically. While doing this, school boards will also be able to completely eliminate all other stipends, because, god forbid, the cross-country coach gets paid. (k) Athletic coach compensation.—The district school board may, at its sole discretion, determine and approve the compensation of any person employed as an athletic coach, assistant coach, or athletic program supervisor, regardless of whether such individual is classified as instructional personnel. Compensation may exceed any salary schedule, supplement, or stipend otherwise prescribed and may be paid in any form or amount deemed appropriate by the district school board, including, but not limited to, salaries, stipends, bonuses, performance-based incentives, and hourly or per601 assignment pay. Such compensation is considered part of the coach’s total compensation. The limitations on supplemental pay applicable to instructional personnel under this section or any other law do not apply to compensation provided under this paragraph.

Coaches want to play similar type teams (regardless of size). No school wants to play in a running clock game. Coaches want to play competitive games and know that the team they are playing against is following the same general rules as they are.  Also the BEST teams are going to have to make a sacrifice here if they want the FHSAA to continue, they are going to be willing to only have 1 state championship team between them. The FHSAA must seriously consider a promotion/relegation system if it does not plan to implement a private/public separation. I don't understand the drawback of looking at the past 4 years of data and classifying the top 32 teams, then 32, 64, 64, 128, 128. The 64-team classes are divided into 8 districts with 8 teams, and the 128-team classes are divided into 16 districts with 8 teams. If the classes are based on recent ability, they should be relatively similar in ability and thus competitive. Even if a below-average metro area team loses a kid to a powerhouse school, it isn't as much of a concern because you wouldn't be playing that team in districts or playoffs, and likely the other schools in your district are facing the same thing.