Rich Bedesem is out as head coach at Wekiva, just four days after the Florida High School Athletic Association punished the Mustangs’ football program for its role in a postgame altercation.
Bedesem confirmed by text message Monday afternoon he was let go by the school, but he said he was unable to comment about it.
On Thursday, the FHSAA placed Wekiva’s football program on administrative probation through the end of June 2022 and levied a $500 fine to the school for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The association also barred the team from playing in a spring game in 2021 and suspended 10 players from interscholastic activities for initiating a physical altercation with opposing players following a region playoff loss at home Nov. 27 to Mitchell High of New Port Richey.
Mitchell won the game 24-18. Pushing and punching took place between players after Mitchell took a knee for the final time to run out the clock. Video shows that a number of Wekiva players ran from the home sideline across the field and charged at the Mitchell team.
Bedesem took over at Wekiva in 2016 after coaching two years at Edgewater. He helped elevate the program to new heights while going 43-16 in five seasons, including a trip to the state semifinal round in 2017 and a region final in 2018.
The Mustangs, who overcame a 1-3 start to finish 6-4 this fall, went 4-2 against archrival Apopka under Bedesem — snapping a string of 12 consecutive losses to the Blue Darters after Wekiva opened.
The vacancy at Wekiva means eight football head coaching openings exist at Orlando area schools, including Evans, Orlando University and two new Orange County schools set to open in 2021.
Lyman parted ways with Dennis Thomas last week. Marc Deas stepped down at Tohopekaliga and Jacob Doss did the same at Windermere Prep.
“I love those kids, the community and the boosters,” Thomas said late Friday afternoon when reached by phone. “This year has been so crazy with COVID and everything, but none of our kids or coaches came down with it, so I’m proud at how safe we stayed during the season.”
The Greyhounds won 42-38 against Groveland South Lake (4-4) in a Class 7A postseason play-in game on Nov. 13 and finished the year at 2-8
Thomas, a 1999 Evans High grad, closed out his five-year run at Lyman with a 17-33 record after serving as head coach for two seasons at Celebration.
Deas, who was on staff at Tohopekaliga since the school opened in 2018, has taken a head coaching position at Feltrim Academy in Haines City, which is scheduled to open its post-grad football program in 2021.
Deas took over as head coach of the Tigers in 2019 and led the program to a 12-8 mark over the past two years.
Assistant athletic director and boys weightlifting coach Tad Hickel will conduct offseason workouts for football players until a new coach is in place. Interviews for the vacancy will be conducted this month, according to the Tohopekaliga High Twitter account, which expressed appreciation for Deas in a post Thursday morning.
“[Deas] was instrumental in growing our program with back-to-back winning seasons, a bowl win, and the first playoff victory in school history,” the Twitter post read. “We have no doubt he will be successful in his new endeavors.”
Doss, who was among those involved when Windermere Prep launched its football program in 2009, stepped down to take a job outside of football early last week.
This article originally appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email J.C. Carnahan at jcarnahan@orlandosentinel.com.
