JOHN REYNOLDS COACH OF THE YEAR: Lee County’s Dean Fabrizio

LEESBURG — Lee County head football coach Dean Fabrizio seemed a bit surprised when he was named the 2014 John Reynolds Coach of the Year.

After what the Trojans accomplished this fall, Fabrizio shouldn’t be caught off-guard.

Under his leadership, the Trojans went 8-3 in their first year at the Class AAAAAA level, making the state playoffs and advancing to the second round before falling at eventual state runner-up Archer.

“We’ve got great, hard-working kids that have bought into our program and come to work and do a great job every day,” Fabrizio said, preferring to deflect the accolades.

“Secondly, we’ve got a great group of assistant coaches here who are knowledgeable and work extremely hard. We’ve also gotten great support from our administration.”

What the Trojans accomplished in 2014 was thought by many to be impossible. Lee County is the smallest Class AAAAAA school in the state and most thought the Trojans would be hard-pressed to win even one game in a region that included the likes of Valdosta, Colquitt County, Camden County, Tift County and Lowndes, all of them traditional heavyweights at the Class AAAAAA level.

The thought of making the state playoffs was seen by many as nothing more than a dream.

Before Fabrizio arrived in Leesburg from Peach County in 2009, Lee County had just five winning football seasons. Fabrizio has helped changed that. Not only has the school posted four winning seasons since, he is the first coach in Lee County history to lead the Trojans to back-to-back winning seasons.

Nathan Clark, the offensive line coach for the Trojans, worked with Fabrizio at Peach County.

“First off, he is very intelligent,” Clark said. “Then on top of that, he is extremely organized and demanding … holds players and assistants accountable. He pushes us to be simple in our teachings and to get the kids to correct their mistakes and execute. He has an unbelievable work ethic and drive with a vision to be successful.”

Fabrizio’s success guiding the Trojans has made a tremendous impact on the community.

“He has great people skills and knows how to relate to others … relationships are the key,” Clark said. “He is very involved in the school. He is a leader. I call him a difference maker.”

Lee County High School principal Kevin Dowling has observed Fabrizio’s impact in the community.

“He’s been a great asset to us,” Dowling said. “He came here several years ago. Things looked pretty bleak as far as football went. We had just come off an 0-10 season. We were declining downward, and he came in and really made some subtle changes and not-so-subtle changes.

“He’s been a real stand up guy as far as working with others, as far as working with adults, kids, and the community. He has great respect among the school staff.”

To those who know him, Fabrizio is not just all about football. He wants his players to be successful in all areas of life.

“He stresses academics, character and behavior,” Clark said. “He stresses the benefits that football teaches many things needed to be successful in life such as discipline, competitiveness and the ability to fight through adversity. He never makes excuses or takes the easy way out.

“Instead, he grinds and focuses on details.”

Clark said Fabrizio always puts others first.

“He always puts the program first no matter what,” Clark said. “He is not afraid to make changes or tough decisions for the betterment of the program. He runs a first class program from the youth league up. He is always thinking ahead and trying to be in front of the curve.”

Fabrizio’s coaching record at Lee County is 38-27. Two of his three losses this season came against teams who played in the Class AAAAAA state championship game — Colquitt County and Archer. His other loss came against the nation’s winningest football program in Valdosta.

Quarterback Garet Morrell said Fabrizio’s leadership was a reason for Lee County’s success as a Class AAAAAA member.

And nobody in the community is arguing.