Niceville Head Football Coach Richard Morgan has resigned, principal Charlie Marello announced Tuesday afternoon.
- “We are grateful to Coach Morgan for his time, leadership and dedication poured into our student athletes at NHS,” Marello said in a statement to Get The Coast. “We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”
Morgan was hired last April to replace Grant Thompson, who resigned after serving as head coach from 2019 to 2024. Thompson went 63-11 in six years with the Eagles, leading them to two Final Four appearances, including his final season in 2024.
Morgan arrived at Niceville with an impressive résumé, having won two state championships at Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, and another in 2019 at Marietta High School in Georgia — the program’s first state title since 1967. However, Morgan went 20-36 over the remainder of his tenure at Marietta before resigning in 2024.
In his one season leading the Eagles, Morgan went 6-5 in what became a tale of two halves.
Niceville started the year 2-3, a stretch that included two painful rivalry losses at Eagle Stadium. The Eagles let a 15-point halftime lead slip away against Crestview in a 32-28 loss, then fell 42-7 to Choctaw, marking the first time since 2012 that Niceville had lost to the Indians.
But the Eagles caught fire down the stretch, going 4-1 to close the regular season. The lone loss was an overtime defeat at home to district champion Mosley, which went on to reach the Sweet 16. The run was highlighted by wins over Sweet 16-bound Godby and a resurgent Milton team.
Niceville finished 6-4 heading into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, extending the program’s playoff streak to 25 consecutive years. The Eagles were matched up against No. 1 seed Ponte Vedra, where they lost 31-30 on a blocked extra point in overtime. Ponte Vedra went on to reach the Final Four.
The timeline to hire Morgan’s successor remains unclear this early.
“Niceville High School has a storied tradition of excellence on the football field, and Friday Night Lights are a cherished part of our school and community,” Marello said. “We are committed to upholding that tradition and will begin evaluating the path forward as we search for our next head football coach.”
The next head coach will have plenty to work with, including freshman sensation running back Jakobe Gilyard, emerging quarterback Deegan McCoy, and a defense returning Noah Renes, Dominic Ealy, Clay Nelson and Andy Bocchino.
However, the 2026 schedule will present challenges. In addition to annual rivalry games against Choctaw, which reached the Final Four, and Crestview, a playoff team, the Eagles face Sweet 16-bound Pace and Mosley along with Hoover, the No. 10 team in Alabama.
The next head coach will also be tasked with extending Niceville’s playoff streak to 26 straight years. The Eagles have not missed the playoffs since 2000.
