Last Saturday, coach Ron Brooks and his Buchholz Bobcats baseball team finished as state runners-up for the second straight year.
On Wednesday, Brooks decided it was time to hang the spikes up as Buchholz’s head baseball coach and athletic director.
“After 22 unforgettable years in coaching and education—15 of those proudly spent as the Head Baseball Coach and 3 as the Athletic Director at Buchholz High School—I’ve made the difficult decision to step down from both roles as I begin a new journey outside of education,” Brooks wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“First I want to thank my incredible wife and family. Their unwavering support, patience, and love have made this journey possible. Coaching and teaching often require long hours, emotional highs and lows, and a deep commitment—and they have stood beside me through it all.”
The 48-year-old Brooks spent the last 15 years as the Bobcats head baseball coach, with a record of 267-125 and two Class 6A state runners-up finishes in the last two seasons, losing to St. Thomas Aquinas ((Fort Lauderdale) in the state championship game on Saturday, 8-3, and falling to Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens), 10-3, in 2024.
“After 15 years as the head coach, it’s time for me to pass the torch to someone else,” Brooks said. “I’m very proud of what we have accomplished and leave knowing Buchholz baseball and athletics are in a great place.”
Brooks also spent six seasons as the head coach at Santa Fe from 2006-11 and one year as the head coach at Rickards in Tallahassee in 2005.
He led Santa Fe to district titles in 2008 and 2010. Moving over to Buchholz, Brooks took the Bobcats to the postseason in 2012, 2015, 2018, and a regional final appearance in 2023, where they lost 10-8 to Winter Springs.
Buchholz finally broke through in 2024, advancing to their first state semifinal and state title game appearance. Buchholz lost to Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) in the 6A state title game, but the 24-9 season was a historic one for the Bobcats.
“My players are the reason I coached,” Brooks said on X. “The relationships built, the lessons shared, the wins and losses, the laughter and the growth—I will carry all of it with me forever. Watching you compete, develop, and mature into young men has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”
The 2025 season was even better. Buchholz won its first 21 games, had a 26-game home winning streak, won a program-best 33 games and was ranked in the top 10 nationally by MaxPreps. Buchholz advanced to the 6A state title game for the second straight year last Saturday.
“I love Buchholz,” Brooks wrote on X. “I always will. It has been the honor of a lifetime to wear the black and gold, to serve this school, and to be a part of something bigger than myself. I’ll deeply miss being a Bobcat, but I will always cherish the memories and friendships.”
Brooks took over as Buchholz athletic director in 2022. He will be replaced in that position by Bobcats wrestling coach Billy Pankey. The process of looking for a new baseball coach will be handled by the administration and the new AD.
“I’m excited to see where Buchholz baseball goes and I can’t wait to be its biggest fan,” Brooks said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include Brooks’ comments on X