For the second time in two months, Santaluces has named a new head football coach.
Brian Coe (right) has been named the head football coach at Santaluces, replacing Korey Banks. He has coached at numerous area schools, among them John I. Leonard, Summit Christian, and Palm Beach Lakes. (2004 Post file photo)
Longtime area coach Brian Coe will take over the Chiefs’ program from previous coach Korey Banks, who was hired Dec. 13 but never coached a game or ran a practice in the midst of a controversy surrounding his involvement in alleged recruiting violations.
Boynton Beach, for whom Banks was the defensive coordinator last season, accused Banks of contacting Tigers players and trying to lure them to Santaluces while he still was an assistant with the program.
Banks, who was let go Jan. 19, denies the allegations.
The Florida High School Athletic Association did not conduct an investigation and will not issue a ruling, spokesman Kyle Niblett said Thursday.
Santaluces conducted its own investigation, and then withdrew its offer to Banks.
Santaluces Principal Tameka Robinson confirmed Coe’s hire Friday morning.
“He has some experience in building a program,” she said. “I really trust his knowledge and his skill set to help us take our program to the next level.”
Coe has been a longtime coach in Palm Beach County, serving as the head coach at John I. Leonard, Palm Beach Lakes and Summit Christian. He also was an assistant coach at Olympic Heights, Boynton Beach, Seminole Ridge, Fort Lauderdale and Fort Lauderdale-Dillard.
He began his coaching career in 1991.
Coe will be tasked with turning around a Chiefs football program that has gone 5-25 during the past three seasons, including an 0-10 mark in 2016.
Jason Bradley stepped down as coach in November, and Banks was hired the following month.
Coe said Friday he’s eager to get started with the Chiefs.
“I’m very excited,” he said. “This is a situation I wash hoping to get the opportunity to do. This is a neighborhood school for me. This is actually the school my kids will be going to.”
Coe most recently has coached flag football at John I. Leonard, where he still teaches. He’ll begin teaching at Santaluces in the fall.
