JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Ciatrick Fason is back at the beach where it all began.
Only this time, he’s running the show.
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The former Fletcher High football star was named the school’s head coach on Monday, a pairing that has seemed a natural fit for years.
Fason is one of the most well-known names in area football history and the player most identified with the Senators program. He was a four-year starter for Fletcher under coach Joe Reynolds from 1998-2001 and broke the area’s career rushing record held by University Christian’s Willie McClendon (6,912). Fason’s 7,479 career rushing yards stood until Yulee’s Derrick Henry surpassed it during his junior season in 2011.
Now, he’ll try and keep the Fletcher program moving forward. Throughout Fason’s journey from aspiring assistant to head coach at his alma mater, he said he learned patience. He was passed over time and again for jobs in the area, time Fason said that he focused on becoming a better coach.
“I was frustrated the last time. You know, I always feel like I’m the best fit for everything,” Fason said. “Kind of went back to my UF days in my playing career when I was frustrated because I wasn’t playing early on in my career. Coach [Ron] Zook was like, ‘be patient, your time is coming.’”
That time is now. On the surface, it’s an ideal match.
Reynolds retired after the 2010 season and turned the program over to assistant Josh Corey, who went 48-15 over five seasons and went to the playoffs every year. Corey left after a 7-5 season in 2014. Ricky Medlock went 5-5 in 2015, followed by a four-year run by longtime assistant Kevin Brown (27-13). Bobby Raulerson was 6-3 in 2020 but was arrested earlier this month and charged with one count of domestic battery.
Fason was a name in the mix during several of those coaching searches but wound up working with the Senators as an assistant until last season. He got the offensive coordinator job at First Coast under coach Marty Lee.
The Senators job came open after Raulerson resigned and the buzz to bring Fason to Fletcher started back up.
Fason said that his new defensive coordinator, former Senators star John Thompson, will join him on the coaching staff. Thompson, a linebacker during his playing days, went on to play at Clemson.
“I think the situation that I am in today than where I was a year ago is probably better that I didn’t get the job, because a lot of people don’t know my defensive coordinator John Thompson,” Fason said. “I don’t know if John would have done it a year ago, but he’s doing it now. The Fletcher alumni [base] is happy right now.”
Fason was a Rivals five-star recruit and committed to Florida as a junior. He held to that pledge despite a coaching change (Steve Spurrier had resigned and the Gators hired Ron Zook) and became a first-team All-SEC player during his final season in 2004.
Fason finished with 1,783 career rushing yards and 14 touchdowns and 368 receiving yards and five scores. He entered the NFL draft in 2005 and was selected in the fourth round by the Vikings.
“My whole life, my aunts and my grandmothers, they always taught me to give. And so ever since I was a teenager I always wanted to give. Once I made it to college and the NFL, I knew I could give more, just differently,” Fason said.
“Instead of giving money and stuff like that, why not help a kid get a scholarship? Why not help a kid get better at sports, no matter what sport you play in. Why not just be a great mentor? That was always my focus and still is my focus. I want to help as many young adults as I can, or teenagers or the youth, as I can, and that’s always been my main goal.”