5 high school girls flag football coaches turned college coaches

The right of passage for high school football coaches is being successful on the prep level before going off to coach on the collegiate one. The same thing is happening for high school girls flag football coaches as well as of lately. [ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ] Several big name high school girls flag football head coaches around the country are making the move to the college ranks either as head coaches or assistants, marking the dawn of a new era when it comes to the sport. Multiple coaches have made their way from coaching high school and now will be calling the shots on the college level. Who are some of those coaches? We give you five former high school girls flag football coaches that are now on college staffs as either the head coach or as a assistant. Travis Combs High school previously head coach at: Ruskin (Fla.) Lennard College coaching at now: Indiana Wesleyan University (IN) From winning a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A state championship in your final season to becoming a college head coach. That was the reality for Combs, who before the 2026 Florida high school girls flag football season ever began had already known he was departing for the college level. Combs did it his way and left in style as the Longhorns’ head man guided Lennard to its first-ever state championship when they defeated Park Vista, 12-6, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ AdventHealth Training Center in Tampa, Florida back in May. Kristen Sherman High school previously head coach at: Orange Lutheran (Calif.) College coaching at now: Cal Poly (Calif.) Kristen Sherman stepped down as Orange Lutheran’s head girls flag coach and joined Cal Poly’s start up program alongside her husband, former Lancers’ football lead man Rod Sherman, as an assistant coach. The Shermans were both massively instrumental in building up one of California’s top high school girls flag football programs, putting together a 65–13 record and winning a CIF Division I championship. Now joining the college ranks, it’s expected with the experience the pair have in coaching on the high school level that the transition should be a smooth one. Frank Rogers High school previously head coach at: Troy (N.Y.) College coaching at now: Union College (N.Y.) Though you might not think of the Empire State immediately when it comes to high school girls flag football, make no mistake about Rogers’ abilities as he recently made the move to coaching college ball. Rogers was named the lead man at union College after a successful run at Troy, where over the course of two seasons compiled an overall record of 14-9. Now as the first-ever head coach at Union College, the school looks to start play in the spring of 2027. Darren FitzGerald High school previously head coach at: Verdugo Hills Senior (Calif.) College coaching at now: Lees-McRae College (N.C.) Another former California high school girls flag football head coach that is now joining the new crop of college coaches is FitzGerald, who was named last month as the new lead man at Lees-McRae College in North Carolina. During his three seasons at the helm of Verdugo Hills, FitzGerald compiled a 48-14-1 record. “I am honored and excited to join the Lees-McRae College family and lead the flag football program,” FitzGerald said in a press release. “My goal is to build a program centered on teamwork, accountability, discipline, and relationships while helping young women grow both on and off the field. I look forward to recruiting student-athletes who embrace the values of the college, compete with passion, and represent Lees-McRae with pride.” Nick Clements High school previously head coach at: Fort Pierce Central (Fla.) College coaching at now: St. Thomas University (Fla.) Last but certainly not least on our list is the most recent high school girls flag football head coach to make the leap to the college game in Clements. The newly hired St. Thomas University head coach fully turned around a Cobras program that before he got there had won three games in the three years prior. Clements in his time at Fort Pierce Central won 73 games, including three district titles along the way. “I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout my coaching journey,” Clements said in the press release regarding his hiring. “This opportunity is a dream come true, and I’m excited to begin this next chapter at St. Thomas University.”