Cardinal Gibbons Head Football Coach Matt DuBuc Reveals Chiefs’ Plans for Improvement Ahead of 2024 Season
Heading into the 2023 season, it looked as if Cardinal Gibbons High School head football coach Matt DuBuc had the team to win it all. The Chiefs were armed with a load of talent on offense, and it was looking like the team’s best chance to win their first state championship since the 2021 team captured the FHSAA Class 4A state title in a 21-19 victory over Cocoa. It was DuBuc’s third state championship since taking over as the Chiefs’ head coach in 2017.
Known for working closely with his QBs, DuBuc had senior signal caller and North Carolina commit Michael Merdinger to run the offense, along with senior TE and UGA commit Colton Heinrich and a host of other weapons to make the offense go.
In the end, DuBuc’s offense racked up points as they normally do, but in the team’s four losses, the Cardinal Gibbons defense gave up 210 points, an average of 52 points allowed per game.
The Chiefs’ season ended at 9-4.
DuBuc said the 2023 season proved that football is about much more than mere talent.
“Our team camaraderie and attitude must improve with this year’s team,” DuBuc said. “That was one of the biggest issues we had last year to be honest.”
He said that has already begun to improve for Cardinal Gibbons with the start of the 2024 football season still months away.
“I like where this team is at mentally,” DuBuc said about the attitude adjustment. “We are already way ahead in that area versus last year.
“We are training about 50-60 kids every day, and they are great to work with.”
Included in that group is a much busier QB room than what DuBuc is accustomed to working with. As the team prepares for its offseason passing camps, four QBs are all vying for the starting job.
In every season so far since taking over as head coach, DuBuc has pretty much known who his primary QB was, which allowed him the luxury of spending a lot of one-on-one time with the player tasked for running DuBuc’s Air Raid offense. Last year it was Merdinger. In 2021 and 2022, it was Dylan Rizk. Before that, it was Brody Palhegyi and QB1 Nik Scalzo.
Dubuc said this is much different as Cardinal Gibbons prepares for the 2024 football season.
“We’ve got four guys that will be battling for the number one spot, and we’ll be evaluating them on a daily basis,” Dubuc said.
The group includes sophomores Jayden Torres, Cody Conness, and Jaden Miller. Senior Preston Wright is a transfer from Ocala Trinity Christian.
“They all have a lot of talent, but they just haven’t played that much,” Dubuc said. “It’s the plug and play mentality. We will see which guy wants it the most.”
Dubuc said that while he is tuned in with the offense, he is keeping an eye on the defense, which should be better than last year’s unit.
“Our LB group will be much better than last year’s group, and our secondary will be solid,” Dubuc said. “Our D-line needs more depth, but we will be working on that this offseason.”
DuBuc will be passing along his offensive knowledge and expertise at the 2024 Nike Coach of the Year Clinic in Orlando on Feb. 9-11.
“I spoke at the clinic in 2018, and I’m looking forward to returning,” Dubuc said. “I am honored that they have asked me to return to speak.”
DuBuc will be speaking about offensive philosophies and practice schedules, and he’ll be speaking alongside Pitt Panthers head football coach Pat Narduzzi and Florida Gators head football coach Billy Napier.
