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•🏫 Who: Grant Thompson, Niceville High School football program, Principal Charles Marello, potential coaching candidates
•🏈 What: Thompson resigns as head football coach, sparking a search for his replacement
•📅 When: Announcement made on March 5, with no replacement search started yet
•📍 Where: Niceville High School, Florida
•❓ Why: Thompson is stepping down after six successful seasons, and the school is looking for a leader who can uphold its tradition of excellence
Niceville High School Head Coach Grant Thompson has resigned from his job.
The Head Ball Coach for the Eagles announced on social media Wednesday that read in part, “These past six years have been some of the best of my life. Having the opportunity to lead this program-the same one I grew up cheering for- has been an absolute honor. Calling it a dream job doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
Thompson amassed a 63-11 record with the Eagles overall and an 11-6 postseason record. His Eagles had a State Runner-Up finish in 2020 and a Final Four appearance in 2024.
Thompson replaced longtime head coach John Hicks after the 2018 season and helped the Eagles to extend their playoff appearance streak that started in 1999 to the quarter-century mark.
In addition to wins and losses on the field, Thompson helped prepare players to play Division I college football.
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The ultimate decision-maker on the next head football coach for Niceville High School is Principal Charles Morello, Who notes that his phone has been buzzing off the hook since the announcement was made.
As of March 5, the process has not begun to search for a replacement. But Marello says a committee will inform his decision to find a replacement. Even though kickoff is five months away – Marello does not have the luxury of time. “There’s a sense of urgency. Spring football is right around the corner. But, you know, it’s gotta go through the process and protocol.”
But Marello has the archetype of the next head Eagle mapped out. “First and foremost, [the next head coach will be] someone who understands the tradition of excellence that we have in football and athletics and academics at Niceville High School and wants to be as big a part of that as as I do, or as you know everyone else does.”
Niceville is a high-cost living area, and it’s chased away coaches in the past, according to Morello. That means bringing in a high-caliber coach isn’t as easy as you might want to believe for a squad that just made a triple overtime, final-four appearance.
Still, sources with the Niceville Quarterback Club say there’s a legion of coaches lining up to put their name in the hat for the gig.
Here are four options (of many) who might be in the mix to replace Thompson at Niceville High School.
Current Associate Head Coach and Head Flag Football Coach Adron Robinson. Coach Robinson has been a mainstay on the Niceville staff for years – and has a Niceville Football State Championship ring to boot. Sources with the team say Robinson wants the job.
Current Niceville Assistant Brooks Perry. Perry also played at Niceville High School before heading to Florida State for his undergraduate degree and Florida Atlantic for his postgraduate work. Perry currently teaches at Niceville High School.
Former Niceville Assistant Coach David Hedges. Hedges left to colorful Colorado to take on a coaching gig at Pine Creek High School, a team in Colorado. He’s since moved back to Florida to Coach the Vernon Yellowjackets. He has deep roots, though – he is married to the daughter of Niceville City Councilwoman Cathy Alley and was instrumental to Thompson’s early success on the gridiron and their State Runner Up performance in 2020.
Current Mosley High School Head Football Coach Tommy Joe Whiddon. Whiddon is the son-in-law of former Niceville High School Head Football Coach John Hicks and a former Niceville Assistant Coach. Whiddon has a 31-12 record with the Dolphins over the last three years – and a 2-3 playoff record. He coached at Booker T. Washington in Pensacola before he took the job at the Panama City-area school.
