JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Verlon Dorminey has been the head coach of the Trinity Christian Conquerors for a long time.
“34 [seasons],” Dorminey said. “No, I can’t believe it.”
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His resume is one equal to that of a legend.
Entering Friday night’s Varsity 4 Game of the Week against Columbia (2-2), Dorminey is 327-88 in his career with the Conquerors (2-2). He’s won nine state championships, which is the second-most in state history behind Bolles icon Corky Rogers, who won 10 of the Bulldogs’ 11 titles.
As a program, Trinity under Dorminey trails only St. Thomas Aquinas (15) and Bolles (11) in terms of total championships. He won four consecutive state titles between 2013-2016, a streak that is tied for the second-most in state history with Miami Central, Miami Washington, North Florida Christian Suwannee. Only Aquinas, which won its fifth straight last December, has done better.
“What I was destined to do after the first two years was win more than three games,” Dorminey said. “But we’ve been very fortunate.”
It all started in 1981, when Dorminey was a middle school gym teacher and assistant coach under then head coach Dick Graybill. But a normal 9-5 work schedule and a better paycheck was appealing so in 1986 he started selling cars. Then, in 1991, Trinity Christian called and Dorminey returned, but now as the head coach.
The most memorable moment over the past 34 seasons wasn’t a victor: “Losing the state championship in 1999,” Dorminey said. “It was probably the most memorable. We lost 6-0 [to Frostproof] and I had 353 yards of offense and gave up 57; 54 was on one play so that kind of numbers stick in your mind for a long, long time.”
In 1999, Trinity Christian was the highest-scoring team in state history racking up 689 points across 15 games. Seffner Armwood eclipsed that in 2004 (722).
“It’s been great to win a lot of state championships and we’ve been fortunate to win them, but I think that one day kind of defines ‘OK, look, we can’t let this happen again,’ and we’ve been working hard not to do that,” Dorminey said.
The Conquerors have accomplished a lot over the past 34 seasons. It all started with their first state championship in school history in 2002, a 42-7 win over Delray Beach American Heritage. Eight more titles have come since then. But winning isn’t everything to Dorminey.
“You know you’re just maybe giving [his players] an idea of where they need to go in their life,” Dorminey said. “I enjoy being here. I enjoy working with the guys that I coach with.”
Right now, Dorminey has no plan to retire.
“I don’t know,” Dorminey said. “These group of 10th graders are really good. I’ve kind of made a pact that we will see them through.”
But all good things must come to an end. While he won’t be a coach forever, he’ll always be a father and a grandfather to seven grandkids.
“My grandkids don’t want me to quit,” Dorminey said. “They’re like ‘what are we going to do on Friday nights?’ They enjoy being on the sideline.”
For now, DormIney will still be coaching on the sidelines each Friday in the fall and continue building an even more successful biography.