5 potential candidates to replace Billy Miller as IMG Academy national head football coach

With Billy Miller now officially out and very likely to coach under Bill Belichick at the University of North Carolina, the IMG Academy national football team is on the search for a new lead man.
Luckily for the Ascenders, they'll have no shortage of aspiring or current head coaches that will put their name in for the job. Because we have no clue who exactly has applied for the gig of taking over one of the country's top football powerhouses, we have created our own list of potential candidates.
Maybe all of them have interest or possibly none whatsoever. Nonetheless, each candidate we list features the accolades that might be a fit for taking over the prestigous high school football program over in Bradenton.
Here is a look at five potential candidates that could take over as the next head coach at IMG Academy.
1. Biff Poggi, former Charlotte & St. Frances Academy head coach
Yes, we're going for the jugular at the top of the list. Poggi was dismissed as Charlotte's head football coach during the 2024 college football season, but make no mistake about his ability to lead an elite high school football program. Poggi was best known for his time of building St. Frances Academy (Maryland) into one of the top programs in the country before making way to the collegiate game. If there's a guy on this list that's already familiar in how to build a big-time high school level program, it's Poggi.
2. John Peacock, Venice
Why not find the next lead man right down Interstate 75? John Peacock has been the mastermind behind putting together one of the top high school football programs right off of the Tamiami Trail in Venice. Coming off the 2024 Class 7A state championship victory over Lake Mary, Peacock has put together an Indians' team that's already in the national spotlight. Peacock has compiled an overall record of 186-42 with three state championships under his belt. With Peacock being a heavy advocate of coaches getting paid better within the state of Florida, IMG Academy would certainly be paying their next head coach a nice competitive salary. This one might be harder to see, though, with Venice revamping its entire football complex and adding a brand-new artificial turf field.
3. Jacquez Green, Manatee
Another head coaching candidate that's literally right down the road from IMG Academy is Manatee's Jacquez Green. Listen, the former University of Florida great has done a tremendous job with the Hurricanes, going 27-16 since taking over ahead of the 2021 season. Green started off going 2-7 in 2021, but ever since then has steadily built the program up back to prominence. This past 2024 season was Green's best at Manatee, with the Hurricanes finishing 10-2 and reaching the Class 5A state semifinals. If you're looking for a program builder, Green is right there with the best of 'em.
4. Steven Moffett, The First Academy
This would be a longshot, but certainly interesting in many ways. In Steven Moffett's lone season as the head man at Leesburg, the former UCF quarterback compiled an overall record of 10-2 in leading the Yellow Jackets. Moffett serves as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at The First Academy, but certainly knows how to win at a high level. Before the program at TFA was levied with forfeits/sanctions, the Royals notched impressive wins over teams like Lipscomb Academy (Tennessee), Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Georgia) and Sanford Seminole. Now with Moffett showing what he can do in leading an offense against some of the Southeast's top teams, how about at one of the country's elite programs?
5. Ryan Schneider, Cocoa
We go from one former UCF quarterback to another and ending this list of candidates is another head coach who just led his program to another state title win back in December. Schneider has proven himself as one of the best head coaches not only in Florida, but the Southeast United States. Leading the Tigers to three straight state championships is an impressive feat and how he's done going up against elite competition has him right in the mix. Since taking over for John Wilkinson (now at New Smyrna Beach), Schneider has gone 75-18, with three state crowns. With Brady Hart, Jayvan Boggs and Javion Hilson all graduating and the Tigers somewhat in a transition, would Schneider leave for the South Suncoast?
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