JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tocoi Creek and Hilliard are on the hunt for new head football coaches, while Wolfson has its new leader.
Mike Kolakowski resigned after two years with the Toros, while Waylon Cox has moved on from his position at Hilliard. The Wolfpack announced their vacancy had been filled with the hire of Jermaine Wilson, who heads to the program from Mandarin.
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The moves continue an active offseason on the coaching carousel for area schools as the number inched up to a dozen. For the Toros, Kolakowski was hired in 2021 to get the new program off the ground. He led Tocoi Creek to a 6-4 mark last season and chased a playoff berth down to the final week.
“Coach K has resigned from his coaching position with us after a couple years,” said Toros athletic director Jeff Holland. “He’s run our program from infancy stage and made us viable in the high school football world. We’re not a first-year program anymore.”
Kolakowski came to Tocoi Creek in the summer of 2021 after a lengthy career at the college level. He’d coached at numerous college programs (Mercer, Cincinnati, William & Mary, Morehead State, Youngstown State and Maine to name a few) before making the downshift to the high school game.
He left Findlay to take the job with Tocoi Creek. The Toros were the first new program in St. Johns County since Creekside and Ponte Vedra opened in 2008. Beachside followed Tocoi Creek and opened its doors in 2022.
“I cannot complain about the amount of time and effort Coach K put into getting our program started,” Holland said. “Now, we’ll open it up [the position] and I can’t wait to see who our next football coach is.”
For Wolfson, Wilson will replace Step Durham, who left the Wolfpack to head to his alma mater Atlantic Coast. Wilson served as both an assistant coach and a coordinator during his time with Mandarin. He was on staff during the Mustangs’ Class 8A state championship season in 2018.
“I am ecstatic to have this out of the way. I know that we brought in some students to help out with our interview process and they really thought highly of him,” said Wolfson athletic director Cindy Talley. “I think that he’ll be good for us. I think with his experience he’s going to be able to run our program well. He’s meeting with the players tomorrow to talk about his vision for the program.”
Cox’s departure at Hilliard was announced on the school’s Facebook page.
“Effective today, Coach Waylon Cox is no longer the Head Football Coach at HMSHS,” the post said. “A committee is being put together and they will work diligently to get a replacement in place, ensuring the continued success of the program. Go Flashes!
Waylon Cox’s brother, Gunnar, was named the head coach at West Nassau late last month. Waylon Cox led Hilliard to an 8-3 record in his lone season there and a state playoff berth.
High school football coaching changes
| School | Former coach | New coach |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast | Mike Montemayor | Step Durham |
| Bartram Trail | Darrell Sutherland | Cory Johns |
| Christ’s Church | Koreen Burch | Vacant |
| Fleming Island | Damenyum Springs | Chad Parker |
| Hilliard | Waylon Cox | Vacant |
| Jackson | Christopher Foy | Vacant |
| Keystone Heights | Chuck Dickinson | Steve Reynolds |
| Menendez | Matt Potak | Ben White |
| Oakleaf | Marcus Miller (interim) | Christopher Foy |
| Tocoi Creek | Mike Kolakowski | Vacant |
| West Nassau | Rickey Armstrong | Gunnar Cox |
| Wolfson | Step Durham | Jermaine Wilson |
It has been an active offseason for area coaching moves, especially in St. Johns and Nassau counties. Bartram Trail’s Darrell Sutherland and Menendez’s Matt Potak also resigned following the season. In Nassau, Gunnar Cox replaced Rickey Armstrong at West Nassau. And Hilliard’s position came open Tuesday.