On Tuesday, Buchholz football coach Chuck Bell announced he was stepping down as head coach of the Bobcats.

This was a decision made by Bell, who said he would remain on staff as the school’s defensive coordinator.

“I want to thank Coach Chuck Bell for his hard work in leading our football program over the last year,” said Buchholz Athletics Director Ron Brooks. “Coach Bell came to me and said he wanted to take a step back from being our head coach. This was his decision. We had complete confidence in him to lead our program into the future, however, we respect his decision and are excited that he plans to remain with the program as an assistant coach.”

Buchholz has advanced to the state semifinals the past three seasons and narrowly missed a state title appearance in 2023.

In his only season as head coach, Buchholz went 13-1 under Bell, falling at home to eventual state champion Lakeland, 21-20, in the 4S state semifinals.

He also led the Bobcats to their first unbeaten regular season since 2001.

Bell said he has spent the last two months evaluating how the football program could be at its best in 2024 and what needs to be done in order for the Bobcats to win a state title.

“Also, during this time, my family learned, God-willing, we’ll be welcoming another child into the world this fall,” Bell said in a statement. “My wife Samantha, daughter Lucy, and son Charlie are all so excited about the growth of our family. Samantha and I are also very realistic about the challenges of working full-time and raising three children under the age of five. But, when you love something enough and you have the right partner, no challenge is too great.”

The Bobcats have a familiar face taking over as head coach.

“In order for me to be the best partner to my wife and best father to my children, I’ve made the decision to pass the responsibility of leading the Buchholz football program as head football coach back to Coach Mark Whittemore,” Bell said.

Whittemore retired in December of 2022 after finishing his Buchholz career with a record of 78-48 over 11 seasons, along with serving as an assistant coach for 16 years.

“After Coach Bell informed our administration and me of his decision, we felt it was best to see if Coach Whittemore was interested in returning to the program as our head football coach,” Brooks said. “He agreed. His excitement and passion for Buchholz, along with his experience here as a head coach, make it a seamless transition. We are fortunate to have such a great football staff here at Buchholz as we continue to build on our strong football tradition.”

In his final season with the Bobcats in 2022, Whittemore led the Bobcats to a 10-3 record and a spot in the Class 4S state semifinals, a 42-35 loss at Venice.

“My batteries are recharged,” Whittemore said. “I had a great year, married two of my boys off and got to watch a lot of college football. I’m in a position where I can help the program continue to be successful.”

Whittemore said the change will give Bell a chance to “prioritize his growing family” while also remaining to be a big part of the Bobcats’ plans.

“We’ve worked together for a lot of years and the staff loves Coach Bell, I love Coach Bell,” Whittemore said. “Let’s just remember that he led the Bobcats to a 13-1 final four season last year so having him as a coordinator again, just as he was five years prior, is so, so comforting.”

In addition to coordinating the defense, Bell will also be teaching at Buchholz this season and for the foreseeable future.

“Thank you to our Principal Mr. Purvis and Athletic Director Coach Ron Brooks for your unrelenting support of the Bobcat football program, which is so near and dear to my heart,” Bell said. “Thank you to the players for believing in me as your head coach over the last 14 months. And lastly, thank you to all of the assistant coaches who have made sacrifices to your own family and remained so steadfastly loyal to my vision for Buchholz Bobcats Football.”