On Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Fort Walton Beach High School Principal John Spolski announced that Chip Petree, the Vikings head football coach for the past three years, will not be returning to the position.
According to Principal Spolski, the time was right to move in a new direction.
“Chip Petree is a man of integrity who has great passion for student-athletes and sports overall,” said Spolski. “However, I believe it to be in the best interests of our players and the Viking program to make a change at this time.”
- “We are grateful for the community’s support during this transition, and I am confident we can find a coach who will work with our players to restore the Viking tradition.”
The search now begins for Fort Walton Beach High School’s next head football coach. According to the Okaloosa County School District, both Spolski and Athletic Director Holly McDaniel will work “swiftly and strategically” to keep the program’s momentum going and inspire growth on and off the field.
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Coach Petree is scheduled to fill a vacant teaching position at another school, according to the press release.
The offseason training program at Fort Walton Beach High School will be supervised by current staff members until a new coach is hired. The timeline to have a new head coach in place is January 2023.
The Vikings football program went 0-10 for the 2022 season.
