Tyrone Higgins II is stepping down as head football coach of Palm Beach Gardens.
The coach, hired to lead the Gators program in August of 2019, is taking on a college coaching role.
"There are moments in life when your heart and your calling meet at a crossroads," Higgins II said in a statement posted on social media. "This is one of those moments for me. This school is more than where I coached. It is where I grew into the man I am today."
Higgins II acknowledges that the timing of the decision is not ideal, as the 2026 fall season is just weeks away from the start of the regular season.
Gardens has not immediately responded to The Post's inquiry about an interim head coach for the coming year.
"Together, we have built something special," Higgins
II's statement reads. "We have celebrated victories, overcome adversity, created lifelong memories, and most importantly, developed young men of character, discipline, resilience, faith, and accountability. But the relationships built within these walls will always mean the most to me."
Higgins II describes his new position, details of which have not been disclosed, as a "lifelong dream."
After playing on FAU's inaugural football team, Higgins II coached as an assistant with Gardens where he helped lead the Gators to a Class 6A state championship title in 2005.
He also served as defensive coordinator at Palm Beach Lakes from 2015-2018 prior to returning to his alma mater for a seven-year tenure with Gardens, during which he compiled a 44-36 record.
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Gardens football head coach Tyrone Higgins II resigns
