Less than a month into the regular season in Florida, one high school football program is already moving on from a first-year head coach.
Dan Nieboer, who was hired away from Jason Witten's Liberty Christian (TX) squad in March to lead the Lely (FL) football program, has been fired after a 0-3 start, Collier County Public Schools spokesperson Chad Oliver confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
The Trojans, located in Southwest Florida, have been outscored 166-0 so far this season against Gulf Coast, Immokalee and Naples. Lely saw a mass exodus of players transfer out following his hiring to neighboring high schools. Nieboer is still a school district employee, according to Oliver.
The school named assistant coach Carlos Cornelio and Kit Fowler, the school's
varsity baseball coach and a physical education teacher, co-interim head coaches for the remainder of the 2026 season. In a letter to football families, Lely principal Jennifer Bledsoe said another national search will take place.
"After careful consideration, a decision has been made to pursue a change in direction for the head football coach position," the letter read. "As a result, Coach Dan Nieboer is no longer serving as head coach of the Trojans football program.
"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.
"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."
Lely put together an impressive 2025 campaign, going 8-4 with a regional semifinal appearance before falling to Miami Central. The Trojans opted to move on from head coach Ben Hammer after three seasons. He led the program to a 20-14 record with a pair of playoff appearances with an offense that averaged 471.2 yards and 45 points per game in his final season.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida high school football coach fired after just three games
