There is a lot of debate when it comes to he top active coach in Hillsborough County. But when anyone talks about the greatest coaches of all-time in Hillsborough County there is agreement: Coach Billy Turner
Coach Turner is the all-time winningest coach in Hillsborough County with 254 wins and currently sits as the only Hillsborough County coach with over 200 wins.
Coach Turner may soon be accompained by Hillsborough High School Head Coach Earl Garcia who is 199-86 in his career.
“I really admire what hes done,” Coach Turner said. “He [Coach Garcia] tells me that he’ll never get my record because he’d have to be 80 years old, but I would be proud for it to be him.”
Although Coach Turner doesn’t put a lot of stock into his record, he admits that he does think about it and is aware at how close Coach Garcia is.
“I know about it,” he said. ” It’s in the back of my mind; like everyone else I got a little bit of an ego, theres not much of that ego left.
“To reach 200 means you’ve really had a lot of perserverance. Hes built a great football program. For him to go 7-3, he probably cant stand it”
Coach Garcia is 199-86 all-time. He is 191-74 in Hillsborough County. He is 166-44 at Hillsborough High School.
His Terrier teams have won nine District Titles and made one State Championship appearance in 1996. That 1996 Hillsborough High School team is still the only Hillsborough County team to make it to the State Championship at the highest class (6A).
“Earl set the trend; he was doing things no one else was doing,” Coach Turner said. “That 1996 team was just unlucky they played a Carol City team that was basically a small college football team. You’ve gotta be good, but its also good to be a little lucky. That team in Carol City didn’t have any weak points.”
Coach Garcia spent 20 games at Boca Ciega (8-12) before moving to Gaither for 51 (25-26). He came to Hillsborough in 1993.
“Earl can take average players and have a winning season,” Coach Turner said. “I can’t say enough about his coaching. I have a lot of admiration for him.”
Coach Garcia will have an opportunity to earn win number 200 this Friday when his Terriers take on the Gryphons of Sickles High School. A team, coincidentally enough, that will have even more ties to Coach Billy Turner.
Sickles is coached by Brian Turner, Billy’s son. “I feel the pressure already and im not even the coach,” Coach Billy Turner said with a laugh. “I just want my son to do well. I think Hillsborough and Sickles match up pretty good. I don’t think that it will be one-sided.”
Following the Sickles game Hillsborough will host the Sean Callahan coached Armwood Hawks. Callahan was Garcia’s linebackers at Boca Ciega.
“He [Coach Garcia] is like Sickles when he plays Armwood. They have to play a near perfect game and not allow many points because you aren’t going to score many points against that defense,” Coach Billy Turner said.