Former Gators TE Cornelius Ingram to Depart from Hawthorne

After coaching at Hawthorne High for 10 seasons, former Florida Gators tight end Cornelius Ingram is stepping down.

Hawthorne head coach and former Florida Gators tight end Cornelius Ingram is making a change. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

HAWTHORNE, Fla.-- After a stellar coaching career at Hawthorne High School, former Florida Gators tight end and two-time national champion Cornelius Ingram is stepping down from his position as the Hornets' head football coach, the Gainesville Sun's Noah Ram reported on Thursday,

Ingram, who played at Florida from 2004-08, spent the last 10 seasons as the head coach of his alma mater, appearing in the state title game in each of the last six seasons with three wins (2022, 2023, 2025), the most in Alachua County history by any school. He finishes his tenure with a 104-22 record.

Ingram reportedly informed the team of his decision on Tuesday.

BREAKING 🚨

The most successful coach in Alachua County history is moving on

Cornelius Ingram, three time state championship coach, has stepped down from his Alma Mater Hawthorne, he confirmed to the Sun

Heck of a run for the hometown kid

Read more ⬇️ https://t.co/bIUxDrKZn2

— Noah Ram (@Noah_ram1) January 16, 2026

Before his time coaching at Hawthorne, Ingram won two SEC titles and two BCS National Championships with the Gators football program. Originally a quarterback in 2004, Ingram moved to tight end in 2005 before making a considerable impact in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

Helping Florida win the program's second national title as a redshirt sophomore, he caught 30 passes for 380 yards and one touchdown, including four catches for 58 yards in the national championship win over Ohio State. He built off of that in 2007 with a 34-catch, 508-yard and seven-touchdown campaign before injuries forced him to miss all of the 2008 season and ended his career in the NFL before it truly began.

Since his departure and due to his proximity, Ingram has been a consistent guest at Florida football events. Recently, he returned during the on-field salute for former head coach Urban Meyer ahead of his induction to the College Football Hall of Fame, during which he was announced to be inducted to the program's Ring of Honor.

"You talk about a guy who gave me the opportunity at the University of Florida to showcase my talent," Ingram told Florida Gators on SI of Meyer. "I was probably one of those tight ends along the lines of being true. He gave me that opportunity to flex out wide. He saw my athleticism."

Former Florida Gators tight end (7) Cornelius Ingram won two national titles with the program. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In 2016, Ingram returned to coach at Hawthorne, where he turned a small-town program into a small-school powerhouse. He also coached the varsity girls basketball program, where he won another trio of state titles.

Ingram is also known for being the father of a current Gator. Men's basketball guard CJ Ingram, who was also targeted as a recruit by the football program, has averaged 2.1 points in 11 appearances for the Gators this season. Ingram's younger son, Kyler, just finished his senior season with the Hornets' football program, where he recorded a team-high 115 tackles in 2025.

While Ingram leaves Hawthorne, it does not appear that his coaching career is over. He has been linked to an opening at nearby Bradford (Starke) High School, according to Mainstreet Daily News' Mike Ridaught, although Ingram has not announced any future plans other than stepping down from his current position.