Kareem Reid Steps Down At Coconut Creek, Headed To Georgia
The coach responsible for the football renaissance at Coconut Creek has made his next big move.
Kareem Reid announced, via a photo of a two-page letter on Twitter, that he is resigning the post of head football coach of the Cougars and has accepted the head coach position at Georgia Westlake High School.
It's uncertain whether the school has named an interim head coach. The Cougars are set to play Hialeah on May 25th in their spring game.
Reid took over Coconut Creek's program in 2013 and led the team to a 16-16 record in three seasons at the helm. While the Cougars never made it to the playoffs under Reid, he did make the program relevant – "restoring the roar" by bringing in talented players and boosting the program's "swag" with multiple uniform combinations, a pending documentary and other player-centric ideas.
Some would say that the Cougars reached their acme point in 2015 – going 6-4 and having multiple players sign with major division-I programs. Receiver/defensive back Trayvon Mullen signed with Clemson, 6-foot-4 receiver Binjimen Victor went to Ohio State and cornerback Malek Young signed with Miami. Also, record-setting quarterback Jhakari Harrison signed with Southern Illinois and safety Alexy Jean-Baptiste went to Arkansas.
All of those players were brought in by Reid.
Reid thanked Coconut Creek principal Scott Fiske for "taking a chance on him" back in 2013.
"I am forever grateful to Mr. Fiske," Reid wrote. "The principal who took a chance on a young coach who had a vision and a dream for his school. He allowed me to work my plan and had my back 100 percent. For that, I am forever grateful."
A graduate of UCF, Reid has spent time in Georgia before as a coach. He was the defensive coordinator at Georgia Pebblebrook prior to taking the job at Coconut Creek.
Reid walks into a Westlake program that is familiar with football success. The school, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia and has produced players such as Adam "Pacman" Jones and Heisman Trophy winner and 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton, has gone 20-5 in the past two years and lost in the third round of the Georgia AAAAAA state playoffs just this past season.
Reid also thanked his players in his letter.
"Good players make good coaches and I wouldn't have accomplished anything without you," Reid said. "You bought in, believed and stayed true…What we accomplished at Creek will forever be remembered."