After earning its first playoff victory since 1994, Ribault’s coach Anthony Flynn decided to retire after 36 years teaching and nine years as head coach.
Replacing him is a familiar face, Kelvin Smith, who was Flynn’s defensive coordinator.
Smith, a graduate of Ribault and longtime coaching assistant, played college football at Florida State as a linebacker. He played in the Canadian Football League before returning to his alma mater to coach.
The transition from Coach Flynn to Coach Smith should be seamless, as he knows all the players and the ins and outs of the school already.
Also, the Trojans stand to benefit from Coach Smith’s experience, and he can potentially bolster their defense to a higher level.
Ribault will face a tough schedule, but winnable games will likely come against Paxon, Stanton, Andrew Jackson, Yulee, and First Coast.
They face reigning state champion Trinity Christian, which will be a tough matchup. State runner-up and rival Raines, whom they defeated last year, will be a great game once again in 2016. They need to watch out for Miami Norland again, as they struggled against them early on in the season last year, and that game could set the pace for the rest of the season.
Jean Ribault Trojans
Ribault Restarts With New Coach
Written by Kim Hoy
Photo by Kim Hoy
