Jeff Rolson Resigns as Apopka Football Coach After Wave of Player Transfers

After six successful seasons and three state title game appearances, Rolson steps down amid rising challenges and mass player departures following Apopka’s spring game loss

Jeff Rolson served as head coach at Apopka since 2019, leading the Blue Darters to three state championship appearances / Courtesy of Apopka Football

Apopka High School was once the gold standard for high school football in the Central Florida region.

Winners of three state championships under the watch of former head coach Rick Darlington, who is currently in the same capacity at DeLand High School, then-defensive coordinator Jeff Rolson picked up the proverbial baton and ran with it starting in 2019.

A Program Built on Championship Pedigree

Between 2019-2023, Rolson was on a roll, leading the Blue Darters to three state title appearances and guiding Apopka to 51 victories. Mass player transferring after his sixth season at the helm made it too much to deal with, according to a report by the Apopka Chief.

Per the report, after Apopka's 31-14 spring game loss to Orlando Jones, a noticeable number of players transferred out of the program and it played a major role in Rolson deciding that his time at Apopka was up.

Mass Transfers After Spring Game Spark Exit

“It’s been increasingly more difficult to achieve and maintain the standard that we’ve set in the past, over the last 25 years,” Rolson said to the Apopka Chief via a phone interview.

Roster Instability Too Much to Overcome

“We’ve just lost a bunch of kids, and it’s hurt us. After the first-round loss in the playoffs, eight guys left right then. Then you get through spring and finish the spring game, and you have a bunch of guys walking out the door. You cannot survive losing 20 kids off a 4-5 team with one of the tougher schedules in central Florida.”

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Jeff Rolson Steps Down as Head Football Coach at Apopka (Florida)

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Rolson’s Resume at Apopka: 55 Wins, Three Title Runs

Rolson led Apopka to three state championship appearances in 2019, 2021 and 2022, coming up short each time of getting to the mountain top. During his six seasons, Rolson compiled an overall record of 55-23, with three of those campaigns totaling 11 or more wins.

A Tumultuous 2024 Season Ends an Era

The most trying of those six years was the recent 2024 season for Rolson, as Apopka fell to 4-6, losing in the opening round of the Class 7A playoffs to region finalist West Orange, 20-19.

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi