- Ian Scott stepped down as Gainesville High School's head football coach due to financial issues and will seek employment elsewhere.
- Scott coached GHS football for three seasons from 2023 to 2025, finishing with an 8-22 record.
Gainesville High School is now searching for a new head football coach.
On Wednesday morning, Ian Scott made an official announcement on Blast Athletics that he was leaving due to personal reasons.
“I want to inform you all that I have to step down as the head football coach. My wife and I have reached an unsustainable financial situation and need to find jobs elsewhere. I am letting you know because I have had to inform the team so that the school can begin the process of finding a new coach. Working with your students has been the honor of my life and this has been such a difficult decision to make. God bless you all.”
Scott was introduced as the new head football coach of the Hurricanes in February of 2023. The Hurricanes struggled in his first season, finishing just 1-9.
GHS went 5-5 in Scott’s second season in 2024.
“Coach Scott is an incredible person, and I am thankful for him and his family, for all they have done for our school for these last three years,” said Gainesville Athletics Director Phillip Knight in a text to Mainstreet. “He has run our football program with compassion, grace, and dignity. I will be forever grateful to him for the job he has done here and for his impact on our athletic program and on our campus.”
The GHS alum, who played football and basketball for the Hurricanes, finished with an 8-22 record in three seasons.
Last year, mistakes were costly in losses at Forest (Ocala) and to Leesburg. What began as a promising season with a 2-1 start ended with seven straight losses and a 2-8 finish.
“We’re going to start looking immediately,” said Knight, who now has to hire six new coaches.