By: Jason Bishop

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

A new era of football has arrived for the Camden County Wildcats.

On February 28^th the Camden County school system announced the hire of Travis Roland to become the next head football coach.

Legendary coach, Jeff Herron retired after three seasons with Camden. Herron took the Wildcats to the GHSA 7A Final Four this past season.

Travis Roland will come in with success of his own. Roland spent three seasons as the Mainland Buccaneers Head Coach and went 30-10 in that span. Mainland High School is in Daytona, FL.

Roland’s Buccaneers made a state title game appearance in 2022 but came up a little short. However, the Buccaneers returned to the title game in 2023 and this time walked away State Champions under Travis Roland’s leadership, beating powerhouse St. Augustine 21-19.

It was reported that over 30 applicants applied for the opening. The Camden County School System announced a meeting on Friday February 16^th where they intended to announce a new football coach on that date.

However, Tracolya Green, Camden County Superintendent, announced at that meeting that no hire would be made as not enough time was given to properly vet references for the final 2 candidates for the position.

Coach Roland played high school football at Mainland High School and then went on to play at Bethune-Cookman. He played Arena Football after his college playing days ended.

Roland began coaching in 2009 at Mainland High School as an assistant. He spent three seasons with the Buccaneers before transitioning to Seabreeze High School, also in Daytona, as an assistant.

In 2012 Roland returned to Mainland High School’s coaching staff and remained until 2016. In 2017 Roland was named Head Coach at Flagler Palm Coast. He remained head coach there until 2020, when he once again returned to Mainland High School, this time as the Head Coach.

Coach Roland is the reigning Florida Coach of the Year.

He will take the reins of the Camden program, which is saturated with rich and proud history. Camden County Wildcat Football has been synonymous with tough, hard-nosed football and the Wing-T offense.

The Wildcats ran that Wing-T offense from 2000-2016 under former coaches Jeff Herron and Welton Coffey. The Wildcats won 3 state titles under Jeff Herron in 2003, 2008 and 2009.

Camden ran a spread from 2017-2020 under former coach Bob Sphire. The Wildcat offense went back to the Wing-T when Jeff Herron re-assumed the position as head coach.

It is expected Coach Roland will bring in a brand new system.

A new era has dawned in Kingsland.