Dr. Phillips head coach Rodney Wells announces he’s stepping away from football

Head coach Rodney Wells led Dr. Phillips football team to the program’s first Football State Championship in 2019. 

Seven years later, he announced he is stepping away from the football field. 

Throughout the years, Wells racked in a number of accolades. The Dr. Phillips alumni attended Syracuse University and saw playing time on the field all four years. After graduation, he returned to Dr. Phillips and became the Defensive Coordinator in 2005. 

In 2011, Wells began his 15 year head coaching career, leading the team to nine consecutive District Championships in 2016. Wells was inducted into the Dr. Phillips Athletic Hall of Fame in May of 2019. 

The past season, the Panthers pushed down to the 7A Regional Finals where the team fell 49-23 to Vero Beach. 

Wells announced he’ll be stepping away from the game he loves on social media and thanked the parents for trusting him, Dr. Phillips’ administrators and staff, and the coaching staff and their wives for the countless hours they’ve dedicated. 

“Coaching at DP, My Alma Mater, has always been about the young men who trusted me, showed up every day, and gave everything they had,” Wells wrote on social media. “To my players, thank you for your extreme effort, your resilience and for allowing me to be a small part of your journey. You are champions on and off the field and I am proud of each one of you.”