Dwayne Mack spent 16 seasons as an assistant football coach in Lee County. Now he is making the jump to being the head man at one of the county's premier programs.
Mack will take over at North Fort Myers High replacing Earnest Graham, who resigned after four seasons, the school announced Friday in a press release.
“I have known coach Mack for the last thirteen years as both a colleague and parent. He is an incredible educator and motivator both in the classroom and on the field," North principal Debbie Diggs said in the release. "Our students, athletes, staff, parents and community are so very fortunate to have a professional of his caliber, reputation and commitment to kids joining our family. He has the energy, skillset and dedication necessary to help Red Knight athletics continue to build upon its success."
Mack, who served as an assistant at Mariner, Ida Baker and South Fort Myers, met with his new players Friday morning.
"It feels pretty awesome to be considered to lead one of the premier programs in Southwest Florida and to be able to continue with what Earnest Graham established," Mack said. "They became a powerhouse last season and accomplished a lot."
In four seasons with the Red Knights, Graham's teams went a combined 25-14. Last season, the Red Knights finished 9-1, won a district championship, eventually losing 7-6 to Fort Myers in a Class 6A regional semifinal.
Before last season the Knights went through a decade-plus playoff drought.
Graham told The News-Press he had "no plans to leave" the program in early March when the school district posted an opening for his job, which occurred the last three years because Graham was not a district employee. He stepped down on March 27.
The speculation about Graham's job status arose as his assistant coaches left for other jobs.
Mack Mitchell, North’s defensive coordinator the last four seasons and once a high school teammate of Graham’s, took the head coaching position at Oasis. Special teams coach Marek Moldawsky and another assistant are also headed to Oasis.
Graham said two volunteer coaches decided not to coach again next season.
Mack, 38, is a 2002 graduate of Concord University in West Virginia. His first coaching job was as the special teams coordinator at Mariner under Robert Butz before spending 13 years as the defensive coordinator under Brian Conn. He followed Conn to South Fort Myers last season to serve as offensive coordinator.
North retained offensive coordinator David Pasquale and offensive line coach Chris Sneddon, Mack said.
"We're not changing much," Mack said. "Why reinvent the wheel?"
North, which lost a ton of star power in linebacker Fa'Najae Gotay, wide receiver Joe Wilkins and quarterback Toby Noland among others, begins spring practice on April 23. The Knights return Division I running back prospect Terry Lindsey.