Sailors' new admiral wastes no time in making a mark

After spending his first day as Sarasota High’s football coach meeting with his team, Spencer Hodges spent his second day on the job watching his players run, and run again.

“Time is money, and we have nothing to spend,” Hodges said to his team on Feb. 5, in the midst of a set of sprints. He watched each athlete’s takeoff and finish with scrutiny. Afterwards, he huddled his team and gave them a singular message: Football at Sarasota High is going be difficult, but fun.

The 29-year-old Hodges didn’t anticipate being in this position. He didn’t apply for the position, which opened when Brian Ryals resigned Nov. 22. Instead, the Sailors made him a target after listening to multiple applicants talk about potentially bringing Hodges aboard as an offensive coordinator. Research into Hodges, previously an assistant coach at Braden River High under Curt Bradley, led to Sarasota asking him to be the coach, not a coordinator. Hodges interviewed for the job on Jan. 29 and the hire was official by Feb. 2.

Hodges is not short on ideas. Walking into the Sailors football stadium, he mentioned needing to get the program’s boosters back. There’s a lot of growth potential, he said. He can see the stadium’s bleachers, both sides, rocking like they used to in his day. Hodges played at Manatee High as an offensive lineman, helping push the Hurricanes to state semifinal appearances as a junior (2005) and senior (2006). Hodges said he still has “nightmares” of playing against Sailors legends Mike Ford and Casey Kelly. The school has a storied history, he said, and it has the support he’ll need from the administration and alumni to succeed. He wants to bring guys with ties to the program with him as assistants. He wants to more fully understand the school’s history, he said, or else he won’t understand the future.

“Lots of coaches these days are either good at recruiting or good at the X’s and O’s. Great coaches get players to do what they themselves didn’t think was possible. If you don’t care about your kids, they’re going to see it.”

He’s not going to cut any corners, but he will, literally, cut the practice field’s grass. Hodges runs a landscaping company, Mr. Wilson’s Landscaping, and noted he’ll have to get his guys out to mow the field. He’ll put players to work on Saturday mornings cutting lawns, too. It’s his way of making sure they don’t get too crazy on Friday nights.

“Everyone talks about having character,” Hodges said. “Character is doing the right thing over and over again. Anything you do repeatedly is self-discipline. We’re going to do the right things off the field and learn football from a fundamental standpoint. That’s how you win games.  

“Lots of coaches these days are either good at recruiting or good at the X’s and O’s. Great coaches get players to do what they themselves didn’t think was possible. If you don’t care about your kids, they’re going to see it.”

The coach’s first workout left many Sailors with their hands on their knees. It was a designed to see how Hodges’ players would respond, and they responded positively. A group of players took it upon themselves to run routes afterwards. They simply couldn’t wait for the next day to play more football.

“I don’t know how you all are doing this,” receiver Simeon Waters, a senior next year, said to the group. “I’m cramped up.”

One player running routes wasn’t gassed at all. Thomas Pack, who will be a junior, was the fastest Sailor during sprints. He caught Hodges’ eye, and Hodges caught his, too.

“I love him,” Pack said after practice. “He brings a lot of energy. He makes us want to push ourselves.”

Hodges doesn’t yet know what offensive system he’ll run. He’ll tailor it to the talent he sees, he said. Trying to force players into “your” offense won’t work. It’s one of the many things he’s learned over his career, which has spanned the public school scene (Braden River), the private school scene (IMG Academy), the college scene (Jacksonville University) and even an internship at the semi-pro level (the National Arena League’s Jacksonville Sharks).

He stresses that this isn’t about him. It’s about the kids, which is why he gave them a mission to recruit their friends, classmates or pretty much anybody they see walking the hallways to come to a practice. There’s untapped potential, Hodges said. Players just have to find the right motivation to play, and Hodges believes he and his future staff can help them find it. It’s going to be an “all hands on deck approach,” he said.

“We’re gonna get crazy,” Hodges tells his team with a smirk. They complete the breakdown, and the team walks off hollering. He just arrived, but Hodges is already navigating the Sailors’ waters like he’s done it for years.