Leon (Florida) cancels girls flag football season in lieu of inability to find a qualified head coach

The Lions' athletic department announced Tuesday afternoon that the program was unable to find a lead coach for the team

Lincoln beat Leon 27-7 Thursday, April 15, 2021. Lincoln V Leon Flag Football652 / Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via Imagn Content Services, LLC

One of the country's fastest growing sports on any level is that of girls flag football.

The Sunshine State has seen a meteoric rise when it comes to programs all around Florida from the panhandle to South Florida.

Despite all the success, there was one program that was hoping to have a season in 2025 in the Leon Lions. On Tuesday afternoon, however, the school announced that the Lions would not be having a season.

According to a release made by the Leon assistant principal/athletic director Riley Bell, the program's 2025 season is cancelled due to the inability to find a qualified coach to lead the program.

Down below is the statement made by Riley to the Leon High School families via Instagram:

"Dear Leon High School Families,

It is with great disappointment that we announce the cancellation of the 2025 Leon High School flag football season. Despite or best efforts, we have been unable to secure a qualified coach for the team this year.

We understand that this news is disappointing for our student-athletes and their families, as flag football has been a valued part of our athletic program. Our administration and athletic department explored multiple options to fill this position, but unfortunately, we were unable to find a suitable candidate in time to move forward with this season.

We remain committed to providing diverse athletic opportunities for our students and will continue our search for a coach to ensure that flag football returns in future seasons. Any students who were looking forward to participating are encouraged to explore other available sports and extracurricular activities this spring.

We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to strengthen our athletic programs. If you have any questions or know of any qualified individuals who may be interested in coaching in the future, please contact our athletic department.

Thank you for your continued support of Leon High School and our student-athletes.

Sincerely,

Riley Bell

Assistant Principal/ Athletic Director"

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A post shared by Leon High School Athletics (@leonlionsathletics)

The Lions were coming off a 3-9 season in 2024 and their best finish came in 2022 when Leon ended with a 6-6 record.

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