Throughout Bill Vonada’s tenure as Hernando High, he often spoke of a three-year process in attempting to rebuild the football program.
In the end, that time frame was the all that was afforded to the veteran head coach. On Wednesday, Vonada released a statement announcing the end of his stint with the Leopards.
“I have recently been told by our school leadership that I have done a good job getting the football program at HHS to this critical building stage, but that there is doubt that I am the person to take it to the next stage,” Vonada wrote. “I have been asked to take a role as an assistant coach or consultant to a new coach, someone who is not currently part of our staff. I have respectfully declined this offer, as I do not believe it is in the best interest of either my family or the team.
“Having worked for three years to build the program has been both a blessing and a hardship to my family and my staff. The hardship is the long hours and sacrifice made by a few for the benefit of many; there is never enough time or resources to make everybody happy, which is especially true when it takes a couple of years to fill a coaching staff. And yet, the blessing of the relationships that we have built in this short time far outweighs those hardships.”
Vonada’s reputation was well-established around the county after his 15-year run as headman at his alma mater Springstead. He stepped down following the 2012 season that saw the Eagles win a district title. He compiled an 80-74 record there, featuring four playoff appearances.
Hernando lured him out of his one-year absence from the sidelines, so firmly believing he was the right man for the job that it eschewed interviewing any candidates outside of the school system. At the time administration expressed a need for patience as the Leopards were coming off a 3-7 campaign.
Shortly after Vonada’s hiring, former Central head coach Mike Einspahr joined the program as the lead assistant. However, the first two seasons the school struggled to field a full staff, and this past spring had to rely on outgoing seniors to serve as coaches.
After finishing 3-6 and 3-7, Hernando went 4-5 this year. The Leopards consistently played close games, losing twice by one score and sticking with playoff teams South Sumter and Nature Coast for at least a half.
Last week, Vonada lost to incumbent Gus Guadagnino in a bid to gain election to the school board. Though he was critical of county administration during the campaign, he offered no indication that had to do with the school’s decision to go in another direction.
This creates the second coaching vacancy in the county after former Vonada assistant Mark Lee resigned at Weeki Wachee.
“I believe that being a coach, or an effective leader of any organization for that matter, is a strange mixture of humility and pride,” Vonada said. “You must be humble enough to be willing to do the dirty work and to make personal sacrifices for the good of others; but you must also have the personal pride to motivate you to do the best you can for your players and your team.
“It is sometimes a battle to keep that pride in check. During the course of this separation process, there has been much speculation from several sources about the motivation behind this change; some of it has apparently been less than true. The prideful part of my coaching persona wants to speak out about this, and I have been encouraged by some close to the program to do this.
“However, one of the things I have always tried to teach our players is that no matter the circumstances, we control how we respond. With that thought in mind, I will leave simply saying ‘Thank you’ to those of you who have been loyal to our players and our program, and for helping us try to do high school football the right way.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.