Village Academy has found its replacement for longtime football coach Don Hanna.
Rod Huggins
The school confirmed Friday it had hired former FAU defensive back Rod Huggins to coach the Tigers.
Huggins is a Moore Haven High School graduate who played college football for the Owls from 2006-10.
He previously was an assistant at Forest Hill High School, and also coached defensive backs at the LRSIF All-Star Football Game last month.
“We are confident Mr. Huggins will continue to move our Tiger football program forward,” athletic director Christine Jiggins said.
Huggins takes over for Hanna, who stepped down Dec. 22 after eight seasons as head coach. Under Hanna’s tenure, Village Academy went 38-45 and made the playoffs four times. The Tigers finished 3-8 this season and earned a berth in the regional semifinals.
“I’ve been here for a long time,” he told the Post in December. “I really feel like I maxed out the potential of the program under my watch … I don’t want to hinder the growth of the program, so I’ll step aside and let someone else take a stab at it.”
Three Village Academy football players signed national letters of intent Wednesday.
Defensive back Rodley Jolicoeur signed with Kent State; and linemen Cyril Spells and Zenon Cadet signed with Division II Lincoln University in Missouri.
This was the eighth consecutive year that Village Academy sent one or more of its players to a Division I school, setting a school record.
