Tom McHugh returns as head football coach at Pasco (Florida)

McHugh was the Pirates lead man from 2007-2018 and most recently was the defensive coordinator at rival Zephyrhills

Tom McHugh returns for his second stint as the Pirates' head football coach / Courtesy of Dade City News

What was old is new again at Pasco.

According to Pirates' athletic director Jim Ward, Zephyrhills assistant coach Tom McHugh has been once again tabbed as the program's head football coach. McHugh returns to Dade City to lead the very team he guided from 2007 to 2018, with two state semifinal appearances under his belt.

Pasco makes the hiring of McHugh just days ahead of spring football starting in Florida, which begins on Monday, April 28th.

McHugh led Pasco to the state semifinals in 2008 and 2011, in which the Pirates came one game away from reaching the Class 3A/Class 5A state championships on two separate occasions after facing Tallahassee Godby and Crawfordville Wakulla.

What led the school back to hiring McHugh was the aftermath of Greg Miller stepping away as head coach less than two weeks ago.

Greg Miller resigns as Pasco (Florida) head football coach

New Pasco (Florida) head football coach suspended before coaching his first practice or game

Miller handed in his resignation on the heels of the former Pasco head coach being handed down a $5,000 fine and 6-game ban by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) stemming from illegal communication with a student-athlete via social media.

Pasco itself was handed down a $2,500 fine in addition to the aforementioned penalties from the FHSAA.

The Pirates are Pasco County's lone football program to win a state championship (1992, Class 3A) and are in hopes better days are ahead under McHugh, who led Pasco to eight consecutive winning seasons from 2007-2014.

Since McHugh, who was dismissed after the 2018 season, was last with the program, the Pirates have gone through four different head coaches since 2019 (Miller, Fred Hicks, Alphonso Freeney, Jason Stokes) after having only four varsity HCs from 1989-2018 (McHugh, Dale Caparaso, Ricky Thomas, Perry Brown).

The Pirates are scheduled to face Sunlake on May 23rd in a spring game at Pasco's W.F. Edwards Stadium.

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