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PHOTO/METRO
Marc Deas, who was thrust into his first head coaching job just weeks before the start of the 2019 season, is leaving his position at Tohopekaliga High School after two years as head coach to start a football program at Feltrim Academy.
Located near Haines City, Feltrim will be a private state of the art high school and athletic training facility. Similar to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the school will feature world class facilities and instruction.
“Frankly this sort of came out of the blue, and I certainly was not looking to move from Toho,” Deas said. “I agreed to meet with them and was really impressed with their vision and commitment of what they wanted the Academy to become. They essentially made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
And while starting a football program from scratch will not be new for Deas, there are certain aspects that will be different from coaching at a public high school, including the recruitment of student athletes. Like IMG and similar Academies, Feltrim will attempt to attract the best student athletes from around the nation. But it is a challenge Deas says he is excited about. “The idea of focusing 100 percent on the sport -- something I am passionate about—will only make the transition easier,” he said.
After a standout playing career at Osceola High School, Deas played college football at Georgia. Upon graduation, he became a teacher and assistant football coach at his alma mater before moving Tohopekaliga to help start that program in 2018 under head coach Anthony Davis.
One week before the start of fall practice in 2019, Davis announced his sudden resignation to become Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Marathon, Fla. The school named Deas as its interim head coach and later removed the “interim” tag.
In his first season, Deas went 7-4. His record included four straight wins to end the season, including a 49-24 bowl game win over East River. He was voted Orange Belt Conference Coach of the Year for his efforts. This past season, Tohopekaliga went 5-4 and participated in the state playoff series. They won their playoff game in school history, beating Winter Springs 24-0 before bowing out of the post-season with a 32-0 loss to Central Florida power Wekiva in the regional quarterfinals.
In making the announcement, Deas said “It’s been an honor to be in the position I was in at Tohopekaliga High School. When it was announced Osceola County was opening a new school minutes from where I grew up I knew I had to be there and I would be in position to do great things there. I never imagined I would be taking over the program a year later. It has been an honor to work with these players as we continued to build a successful program. I thank Tohopekaliga High School for allowing me to season, to overcome, to innovate, and to build.”
Tohopekaliga Athletic Director Lonnie Flores had nothing but praise for his now former coach. “We would like to congratulate Marc Deas as he accepted a new job,” Flores said. “He was instrumental in growing our program with back-to-back winning seasons, a bowl win, and the first playoff victory in school history. We have no doubt he will be successful in his new endeavors.”
Flores added that a search for a replacement would begin immediately and he hopes to name a replacement for Deas shortly after the winter break.
