High School

Former College Football Standout Lands Florida Head Coaching Role

Takoby Cofield, a three-year starter at Duke, has been named the head coach at Pinellas Park.

Dana Becker

Oct 11, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive tackle Takoby Cofield (73) blocks against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Duke defeated Georgia Tech 31-25. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Oct 11, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils offensive tackle Takoby Cofield (73) blocks against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the third quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Duke defeated Georgia Tech 31-25. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

A former college football standout has landed a head coaching position at a Florida high school.

Takoby Cofield has announced on social media that he will take over the Pinellas Park High School football program in 2026.

“Patriot nation, I’m home,” Cofield posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). “Excited to be the new HC (of Pinellas Park).”

Cofield was a three-year starter along the offensive line for Duke University, signing with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted rookie free agent. He also made brief stops with both the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders before playing two seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Takoby Cofield Was Standout In High School In North Carolina

The 34-year-old Cofield had a standout career at Tarboro High School in North Carolina, committing to Duke where he played 42 consecutive games and 3,274 snaps. He was a three-year letterwinner for Tarboro, helping the team go 36-8 overall, highlighted by a 15-1 run in 2009 that culminated with the North Carolina high school football Class 2A state championship.

Cofield was named all-Atlantic Coast Conference as a senior.

In 2024, Cofield was announced as the assistant offensive line coach with the Edmonton Elks, another team in the CFL.

Pinellas Park Went 5-6 In 2025, Returns Several Key Pieces

The Patriots finished 5-6 in 2025, winning three straight in October. They dropped a 23-20 overtime decision to Osceola in the regular season finale before falling to Immokalee in the Florida high school football playoffs, 10-8.

Jhai Hitchcock ran for almost 700 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Chayse Armtrong had 264 yards rushing and four scores. Both were sophomores this past season.

Armstrong also had 207 yards receiving on 18 receptions and threw for 39 yards with a touchdown.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in northcentral Iowa and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in 2022 focused on the state of Iowa. Along with providing coverage of football and wrestling, Dana also spotlights cross country, swimming, basketball, track and field, soccer, tennis, golf, baseball and softball. He began writing for High School on SI in 2023.

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