Manatee High football coach resigns

Manatee High School announced the resignation of head football coach John Booth via a Facebook post Friday morning.

According to the post, Booth is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside of high school coaching.

“We are surprised,” said school athletic director Danielle LaPoint, “but we wish him success in his future endeavors, which will be outside of teaching.”

Booth, a 2000 graduate of Manatee High School who played quarterback for four years, took over the program in 2014 after former coach Joe Kinnan took a medical leave of absence.

The Canes went 28-9 in three seasons under Booth and amassed more than 4,300 total yards of offense last fall.

Booth officially turned in his resignation to the school’s administration Wednesday after extensive discussions with his wife. Booth, who had his fourth child during the winter, will take a job with Edward Jones as a financial adviser once the school year ends.

“It’s something that we talked about and prayed a lot about,” Booth told the Bradenton Herald, “and just really felt like this was a great opportunity for our family.”

Booth’s announcement came less than 24 hours after the Bradenton Herald reported that Manatee offensive coordinator James Booth was leaving to become Plant City High’s next head football coach.

A phone call to James Booth was not immediately returned.

“It’s with great regret that we announce the resignation of Manatee High School head football coach John Booth,” Manatee football’s Facebook page posted Friday morning. “After much consideration, coach Booth has decided to step down as head football coach to pursue other opportunities outside of the high school education and football community.”

The post added John Booth will remain the Hurricanes head coach through the spring or until a successor is found.

Spring football practices begin in a few weeks.

“That was something that they asked and I feel that’s the right decision to do,” Booth said. “We talk as coaches all the time about commitment to our kids and what we’re doing, and I just don’t think it would be the right move for me to completely pull away. I think this time of year is critical.”

LaPoint doesn’t have a specific timeline in place for when she would like to make a new hire and said she is unsure how a potential hire during spring practice would affect the transition.

Booth said he told LaPoint he would step aside if a new coach came in during the spring and was ready to take the reins.

“If it works out where we can introduce this new person and it can be part of spring, I think that’s great,” LaPoint said. “If that doesn’t work out that way, I think it’s fine, too. John and I are working together on that.”

The upcoming coaching search will be conducted on a national level and LaPoint isn’t putting any restrictions on the sort of target she envisions the Hurricanes hunting.

The Canes will consider in-house options — although Manatee is set to have both first-year offensive and defensive coordinators — and those with ties to the program. The only parameter for LaPoint is she would like the next head coach to be a full-time teacher at the school.

“I don’t want to say, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m really looking one way,’ and then have a perfect person come around the other way,” LaPoint said. “I’m open to whoever is the most qualified for our program.”

Both Booths played at Manatee High and taught at the school. John Booth previously was the head coach at Valrico Bloomingdale, while James was his offensive coordinator. James Booth’s move to Plant City will be his first high school head coaching job.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Manatee High football coach resigns."