Florida high school football coach fired after just three games

Lely Makes Early Change After Difficult Start

Cybersecarmor.com – Just three games into Florida’s 2026 high school football season, Lely High School has dismissed first-year head coach Dan Nieboer and placed the program under interim leadership for the remainder of the schedule.

Nieboer arrived in March after leaving Liberty Christian in Texas, the program led by former NFL tight end Jason Witten. His tenure with the Southwest Florida Trojans ended with an 0-3 record, as Lely was shut out in each of its opening contests.

Gulf Coast, Immokalee and Naples combined to defeat the Trojans by a 166-0 margin. The opening stretch has been especially challenging for a team that underwent substantial roster change after Nieboer’s hiring, with many players transferring to nearby high schools.

Although he is no longer leading the football team, Nieboer remains employed by the school district.

Co-Interim Coaches Take Over

Lely has named assistant coach Carlos Cornelio and Kit Fowler as co-interim head coaches through the end of the 2026 season. Fowler also serves as the school’s varsity baseball coach and works as a physical education teacher.

The arrangement gives the Trojans an immediate leadership structure while the school begins planning for a longer-term replacement. Principal Jennifer Bledsoe told football families that Lely will conduct another national search for its next head coach.

“After careful consideration, a decision has been made to pursue a change in direction for the head football coach position. As a result, Coach Dan Nieboer is no longer serving as head coach of the Trojans football program.

Bledsoe’s letter described a process in which school administrators and the activities coordinator worked with Nieboer on a plan centered on player development and program operations. The school ultimately concluded that a different leadership approach was needed for the program’s future.

“Our building administration, including our school’s Activities Coordinator, worked closely with Coach Nieboer to establish a plan focused on player development and the overall operation of the program. Ultimately, we determined that a leadership change was necessary to best support the future success of our students and program as a whole.

For the players and families still connected to the team, the key issue now is continuity. Cornelio and Fowler will be responsible for guiding the Trojans through the remaining games while maintaining the daily structure of practices, preparation and student-athlete support.

A Program Coming Off a Strong 2025

The abrupt change follows a much different season in 2025. Lely finished 8-4 and reached the regional semifinals before its playoff run ended against Miami Central. That campaign provided evidence that the Trojans could compete deep into the postseason, making the program’s rapid transition in 2026 particularly notable.

Before hiring Nieboer, Lely had chosen to part ways with Ben Hammer after three seasons. Hammer compiled a 20-14 record, guided the Trojans to two playoff appearances and oversaw an offense that averaged 471.2 yards and 45 points per game during his final year.

The decision to replace Hammer came despite those offensive numbers and the 2025 postseason appearance. Lely then turned to Nieboer in hopes of directing the next stage of the program, but the school has now moved again less than a month into his first regular season.

National Search Will Focus on Program Culture

In her message to families, Bledsoe outlined the priorities Lely intends to emphasize in its next coaching search: player development, student-athlete growth and a positive team culture.

“As we move forward with a national search for our next head football coach, we will prioritize player development, student-athlete growth, and a positive team culture as core values of the program.”

Those priorities extend beyond wins and losses. A high school football coach shapes the daily experience of athletes through instruction, expectations, communication and the environment created around the team. For Lely, the next hire will be tasked with rebuilding stability while also preparing the Trojans to return to the competitive standard shown during their 2025 playoff run.

The immediate challenge remains the 2026 season. Lely has yet to score through three games, and its new co-interim coaches inherit a team seeking its first breakthrough. The school’s longer-term focus, meanwhile, has already shifted toward identifying a leader who can support players and establish a durable direction for the program.