Former Mobile Christian coach Ronnie Cottrell, who has won state titles in Alabama and Florida, believes he can use the transfer portal to his advantage at Lighthouse Christian College and draw from a huge high school talent base in southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. (Call News file photo)
By JIMMY WIGFIELD
When Ronnie Cottrell left Mobile Christian after winning the 2023 state championship, he said he wanted a new challenge.
He’s found one as the new head coach of the startup program at Lighthouse Christian College in Gulf Breeze, Fla., which will begin play this season as an independent with hopes of becoming an NAIA member.
Cottrell, 65, has been volunteering with the Makos since June and his hiring as the full-time coach was announced at a press conference Thursday at the school. The college opened in 2022 and will play its first game on Sept. 7 at Jacksonville (Fla.) Community Christian College.
“I saw early on that this would be a very special opportunity,” Cottrell said of his first college head coaching job. “I feel like I can help a lot of young men at this college. It’s a good fit for me and I can’t wait to see these guys do their thing.”
Cottrell — who gained fame as the recruiting coordinator at Florida State during the Bobby Bowden glory years — has already recruited a roster of 65 players and expects to draw on a deep talent base in the Florida Panhandle and in southern Alabama.
“It’s a good start,” said defensive coordinator Bob Snyder, a longtime Cottrell associate. “I’ll tell you, whatever we do, we’re going to look good because the helmets look nice.”
The players wearing the helmets aren’t mediocre discards, Cottrell said.
“There are so many players who would have had no place to go,” he said. “Because of the (transfer) portal and NIL, a lot of high school kids are available. When we were thinking about this, a lot of players in the 850 area code and the 251 area code have been going to other similar schools like us. We know there is a lot of talent in this area and we know they’re well coached and well prepared. There is great football being played here. You look at the success of the University of West Florida in Division II, there are opportunities here for NAIA players.”
The Argos went from a startup program in 2016 to winning the NCAA Division II national championship in 2019. They also lost in the national finals in 2017.
“There’s a lot of talent and it’s great that you can pick from it,” Snyder said. “There’s always room for another school.”
Offensive coordinator Dave Wilson said the transfer portal will work to Lighthouse’s advantage.
“I’m very impressed with the quality of talent that has come to us,” he said. “Do we have a field yet? No. Do we have a locker room yet? No. But you see the vision. If you’re not getting film and you’re not staying in touch with the college coaches, they’ll forget about you. It’s been fun to see our players’ hunger to get an opportunity. We want to help them continue to play football or get to another level. If we can help you move up, we want to do that. The portal goes two ways — it goes down and it goes up and sometimes sideways. After 30 years of coaching, Ronnie and I have built up a tremendous amount of connections in the college football scene.”
Still, Cottrell and Wilson admitted starting a college program from scratch will be difficult.
“When we go to the first game, I hope we don’t forget a toolbox or the headsets,” Wilson said.
However, Cottrell believes the program can enjoy a better start in its first year than most startups despite not having a spring practice and limited time to install his system.
“I told the players it’s not a perfect situation but I feel like I’ve got a special team,” he said. “What we’ve told the players is we want them to get their education and be part of a good program. If other opportunities come for them at bigger schools, we’re all for that.”
Cottrell, Snyder and Wilson have each been a college recruiting coordinator. Snyder also coached with Cottrell at Alma Bryant, Carroll-Ozark and Mobile Christian, while Wilson worked with Cottrell when both were at Florida State under Bowden and was also Mississippi State’s recruiting coordinator under Jackie Sherrill.
“The three of us have recruited every one of our guys,” Cottrell said. “We’ve got some talent. Most of them are freshmen but I like the culture of this team.”
Lighthouse can give scholarships but Pell Grants can cover $7,400 of the annual $8,000 tuition at Lighthouse.
“One of the advantages I have here is we are a very affordable college,” Cottrell said. “I think we can complete with schools of our size and type.”
Snyder helped start the program at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla., serving as the defensive line coach. He also worked as the defensive line coach for former Florida State quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward at Washington High School in Pensacola.
“How often can you work for a Heisman winner?” Snyder asked.
Snyder was working as the executive director at Lighthouse Christian Academy when Cottrell called him.
“Ronnie said, ‘We’ve got a team over here, why don’t you come over and coach?’” Snyder recalled. “I said, ‘Sure, why not?’ ‘Sure, why not?’ is always my answer to him.”
Wilson and Cottrell got to know each other at Troy State and were together at FSU. Wilson also coached Seminoles All-American linebacker Derrick Brooks in high school.
“We knew there would come a time when we could coach again,” Wilson said. “We wanted to put together our own system and our own team.”
Cottrell was 85-31 in nine seasons at Mobile Christian and also won a state championship with Godby High School in Tallahassee in 2012. In 24 years as a head coach, Cottrell was 186-101 with seven career region championships at Kinston, Flomaton, W.S. Neal, Carroll, Alma Bryant, Chickasaw and Mobile Christian.
At Florida State in the early 1990s, Cottrell recruited Seminoles stars Warrick Dunn, Brooks, Peter Boulware, Peter Warrick, Sebastian Janikowski and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Chris Weinke.
Cottrell also served as Alabama’s recruiting coordinator under Mike DuBose from 1998-2000.
At Mobile Christian, Cottrell coached Alabama signees Deontae Lawson, Sterling Dixon and Eric Poellnitz, Arizona’s Troy Young, Stanford’s Andres Fox, South Alabama’s Jason Brooks and Keith Gallman and Western Carolina’s Kason Lincke and Toler Keigley.
All I got to say is the men mentioned in this article are classic examples of providing the American dream to hungry young adults. They ARE IN THE TRENCHES.