JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hilliard is turning to a familiar name to lead its football program.
The Red Flashes hired alum and former NFL player Daniel Thomas to lead the football program. Thomas is a big name in Nassau County. He starred at both safety and quarterback at Hilliard before going on to college and later the NFL. Thomas was a second-round draft pick of the Dolphins in 2011. Hilliard athletic director Jason Collins confirmed the hire on Monday.
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Thomas played four seasons with the Dolphins before training camp stints with the Bears and then Miami again in 2015 and ‘16 before his NFL career ended.
Thomas graduated from Hilliard in 2006 and went on to Northwest Mississippi Community College before transferring to Kansas State. Thomas shined with the Wildcats, rushing for 2,850 yards and 30 touchdowns in two seasons.
Thomas replaces Waylon Cox, who led Hilliard to an 8-3 record and a playoff berth in his lone season.
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 |
| Columbia | Demetric Jackson | Brian Allen |
| Fleming Island | Damenyum Springs | Chad Parker |
| Hilliard | Waylon Cox | Daniel Thomas |
| 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.