Mariner names Brian Staats as new head football coach, replacing Josh Nicholson

Before the first spring football practice at Mariner High School, Josh Nicholson informed the assembled players that he was stepping down as head coach of the Tritons.

Minutes later, Brian Staats, a coach with more than 35 years of experience at both the high school and college levels, introduced himself as the program’s new leader.

Both coaches shared the same message.

“We told them it’s all about them,” Staats, 61, said. “It doesn’t matter who is here in front of them. If they accept it and take ownership, good things will happen.”

During his four-year tenure as head coach, Nicholson led Mariner to an 18-19 overall record, highlighted by an 8-3 mark in 2023 that saw the program capture its first district championship since 1997. In February, he said to Tritons athletic director Steve Larsen was making a career change and would leave his coaching and teaching positions at the end of the year.

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“It was definitely not an easy decision,” said Nicholson, who will remain in the field while working in the software industry. “I told Steve that I will do everything I can to help ensure that we find the right person and that we do it in a way that is best for the kids and the program.

Larsen said he initially talked to some former football coaches in Southwest Florida, but those conversations went nowhere. Then he learned that Staats, who spent last season as an assistant coach at South Lake High School in Groveland, was interested in the job.

“In our conversations, it wasn’t about Xs and Os, it was about how can you lead kids and communicate your vision, and obviously the answer is yes,” Larsen said.

Meanwhile, Nicholson has committed to staying with the team through the spring to help with the transition to Staats.

“It’s a unique situation; I’ve never been a part of something like this where it was a smooth transfer,” Nicholson said. “And that was my goal and I appreciate Coach Staats and Steve for working with me on this. My coaching staff, the kids, everyone is on board.”

A native of northeast Ohio, Staats has coached football at seven high schools in the state, winning three Columbus City League championships in Mifflin and Northland. At Bedford, he helped mentor future NFL offensive lineman Rodger Saffold III. Before moving to Florida and South Lake High in 2023, Staats was an assistant at a number of small colleges, including Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia, Capitol University in Ohio and Thiel College in Pennsylvania, his alma mater.

Mariner formed a productive group of 15 seniors that accounted for 81% of his touchdowns and 77% of his total yards last season. With several newcomers poised to take over starting roles for the Tritons, Staats said he is eager to continue building on the team’s success.

“Our goal is to win the district again,” he said. “They got a taste of starting something and I think they want to continue to see it through to the end. As long as you keep developing the young guys to replace them, you can maintain some success for a long time.”

This article originally appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: Mariner High School football coach Brian Staats replaces Josh Nicholson