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A Florida high school football coach has been suspended for the entire 2026 season and fined $5,000, according to a report by the Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News on Monday.
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Per the report, Naples (Fla.) Barron Collier head coach Brannon Tidwell has been suspended for the 2026 campaign and fined the aforementioned amount by the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) for having improper contact with a student-athlete at another school. The report adds that Andrew Clawson will serve as the Cougars’ interim head coach for the upcoming season.
Rivals received confirmation from the FHSAA that a sanctions letter had been indeed sent out to Barron Collier on Monday morning, but did not receive the letter as of the evening time.
Earlier this month, Barron Collier had self-reported violations of improper contact by Tidwell with a student-athlete at another school to the FHSAA after complaints were filed by another Collier County school.
“I know that the students need to be directed to guidance/district for open enrollment if they have any questions. I accept responsibility for this action,” Tidwell said via the report from early July. “Spring practices are open to the public. Some of the students in question came over and watched practice but should not have been on our sideline. I understand the students should not have been on the field and if they were just watching the open practice, they should have been in the stands. I should not have asked them or permitted them to be there at practice or on the field. I accept responsibility for this incident.”
In screenshot images that were previously obtained by the Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News, it confirmed the improper correspondence by Tidwell with the unnamed student-athlete at Naples Lely High School. The images showed consistent correspondence between Tidwell and the Lely student-athlete in regards to transferring to Barron Collier and also providing other contacts.
Among the additional actions that took place per the report was Tidwell asking a player for game film, inquired about a transfer graphic, and shared it on his private Instagram.
Barron Collier finished the 2026 Florida high school football season with a 4-6 record and missed out on the FHSAA postseason.
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