By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Details have still not been divulged, but Vincent Harris, Escambia County High School’s head football coach and athletic director for the past three years, won’t be back for a fourth season.
Harris, who replaced Scott Mason three years ago, announced on January 21 that he would not return for the 2025-26 season.
“It has been an honor to serve as the head football coach at Escambia County,” Harris said in a post on his Facebook page. “My decision to resign was not made lightly, as my time here has been filled with unforgettable moments, personal growth and a deep sense of pride in what we have built together as a team.”
Harris didn’t go into detail but admitted during a phone conversation with Atmore News that he and first-year ECHS Principal LaTonya Gill did not see eye-to-eye on several issues, and Gill reportedly made the decision to end Harris’s employment.
“I haven’t [formally] resigned, but I plan to,” Harris said. “There were some differences between the school’s administration — Ms. Gill — and me, so let her do what she’s going to do. It wasn’t because of my record, it was just those differences.”
Although the Facebook post makes it clear what the first-time head coach’s intentions are, Superintendent of Education Dr. Michele Collier said last week Harris had not yet turned in a resignation to school system administration.
Collier admitted, though, the final decision was Gill’s.
“That [dismissal of a coach] is at the principal’s discretion,” said Collier, who noted that Gill’s emphasis since she took over at ECHS has been on restoring discipline throughout the school.
Gill did not care to discuss the specific reason or reasons for her decision but wished Harris — who came to ECHS after two years as an assistant at T.R. Miller High — well as his career continues.
“I wish him the best in his future endeavors,” she said.
Harris was tasked with rebuilding a once-proud ECHS program that won state titles in 1974 and 1983 but has not made a postseason appearance since 2010. His teams posted a collective 12-18 record, making Harris the school’s winningest coach since Mark Heaton’s Blue Devils put together a combined 14-9 mark in 2010 and 2011.
Heaton’s two-year term included a 9-4 showing in 2010, when ECHS posted playoff wins over Andalusia and Jackson before falling to Bibb County in state semifinals action. Since then, ECHS has had five head coaches, including Harris, none of whom took the team into the postseason.
Lev Holly’s 2012 and 2013 teams were a collective 5-15; Royce Young coached the Blue Devils to a 4-26 mark over three seasons (2014-16); Rico Jackson’s 2017 and 2018 teams went a combined 8-12; and Scott Mason led the ECHS squad to a 9-21 mark over three seasons (2019-2021).
“The school has had three principals in the three years I’ve been here,” Harris said. “There have been trials and tribulations, but my teams won more than any coach since 2010, and we’ve had 20 kids who received scholarship offers. These are things I’m proud of.”
Since Harris — whose resume also includes four years at Pleasant Grove High and three years at Talladega High — has not officially resigned, the search for a replacement has not begun in earnest, although spring drills are usually conducted in April and May.
Harris thanked his players for the effort they put forth and expressed confidence that the Blue Devils program is stronger now than when he arrived.
“While this chapter comes to a close, I am excited to see where the future takes this team,” he told the players in his Facebook post. “I have full confidence that the Blue Devils will continue to rise, grow and succeed. I look forward to watching your continued progress, and I will always be cheering for you from the sidelines.”