FORT PIERCE, Fla. - The recent success of the Fort Pierce Westwood football team enticed former Florida Air Academy coach Rodrick Lawson to toss his name in as a candidate to take over the program.
After speaking to administrators who seek to turn around the school’s poor academic reputation, Lawson grew even more confident Westwood would be a good fit, and school officials reciprocated those feelings Wednesday by announcing him as the Panthers’ 10th head football coach since the program began in 1978.
Lawson, a six-year head coach at the private military school in Brevard County, inherits one of the area’s most successful programs. Fort Pierce Westwood is 26-9 with two district championships, three playoff appearances and a 3-3 playoff record over the last three seasons.
“Knowing their past and knowing their success, anytime when you see a program like that become available, it sparks interest,” said Lawson, who will also serve as a physical education teacher. “After talking to administration, I thought it was a place I wanted to be. Coming from Florida Air, with the pressing of high academic standards and wanting to establish that for student-athletes, creating the best student-athlete is something I’ve been used to, and that’s something I’m comfortable doing. They would like to see the students at Westwood be excellent in the classroom as well as in the field, and I share that desire.”
Lawson was one of 33 applicants and three final candidates, along with Vero Beach defensive coordinator Kenny Holmes and Trinity School (Penn.) head coach Ed Dalton. Lawson and Dalton also were finalists for the Jensen Beach job that was awarded to John Fey this spring.
“He just understood our vision with what we want at Fort Pierce Westwood, being a community school, reaching out to the community and evolving as one,” athletic director Jill Willette said. “He doesn’t just have the high football expectations we have, but also he shares what we have as expectations for the students.”
Lawson, 37, posted a 40-21 record in his six years at Florida Air after taking over the program in June 2004, following stints as an assistant at Palm Bay and Cocoa beginning in 1996. He guided the District 3-1B runner-up Falcons (9-3) to their first ever playoff victories last year, exiting the tournament in the regional final with a loss to eventual state runner-up Warner Christian. It was the team’s second playoff appearance under Lawson with the first coming in 2007 when the Falcons won a then school-record eight games.
Lawson resigned from Florida Air in April, citing the difficulty of teaching at Palm Bay Academy while coaching at FAA.
Though he doesn’t have much time to settle into his new position before official practices begin Aug. 9, Lawson is not too worried. Westwood has continued summer workouts under assistant principal Tony Conti, a former assistant football coach at Treasure Coast, and Lawson already has some assistants he hopes to bring in with school approval.
“Sometimes you are dealt a situation and you have to do the best you can,” said Lawson, who plans to run a multiple-front defense and also be multiple on offense with a balance of running and passing. “... We are in a situation where we just have to get to work. We know we are behind, but there are no excuses.”
Westwood administrators introduced Lawson to the team and parents Wednesday, and Willette said he appeared to be well-received. He will begin guiding the Panthers through conditioning starting Thursday.
The Panthers lost just six starters to graduation this season and are coming off an 8-4 finish as regional finalists in Class 3A. Former coach Waides Ashmon resigned after two seasons in June when the school district began a second investigation into his conduct as a coach.
“I’m excited,” Lawson said. “I think we are going to be successful, as hard as we work. I think the excitement is there with the kids and the community, and I’m ready to get started.”
THE RODERICK LAWSON FILE
Position: New head football coach at Fort Pierce Westwood High School
Age: 37
Coaching experience: Florida Air Academy head coach (June 2004-March 2010); Palm Bay High School defensive backs coach (Jan. 2001-June 2004); Cocoa High School defensive coordinator (Aug. 1996-Aug. 2000)
Head coaching record: 40-21
YEAR-BY-YEAR
2004: 6-3
2005: 8-2 (defeated St. Cloud 35-28 in bowl game)
2006: 4-6
2007: 8-3 (District 4-1A runner-up, lost to North Florida Christian 28-6 in first round of playoffs)
2008: 5-4
2009: 9-3 (District 3-1B runner-up, regional runner-up)
Honors/achievements: Was a Florida Athletic Coaches Association District Coach of the Year from 2007-09 and in 2004; helped guide Palm Bay to the Class 4A title in 2002 as defensive backs coach; 2005 ESPN Radio Brevard Small School Team of the Year
Also notable: Lawson becomes the Panthers’ 10th head coach since the program began in 1978. ... Lawson inherits one of the area’s most successful programs. Fort Pierce Westwood is 26-9 with two district
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