Enterprise hires new defensive backs coach

Enterprise defensive backs and strength and conditioning coach Marcus McCarty resigned from his position on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and Tavares (Fla.) High head coach Gary Dugger has been hired to replace him.

McCarty is departing Enterprise after his wife – Melissa – received a job opportunity in the medical profession that they simply couldn’t pass up.

“It was a tough decision to leave this awesome opportunity,” McCarty emphasized. “I wake up every day asking what myself what I’m thinking, but I have to remember that this is something that is going to be great for my whole family.

“I just really appreciate Coach (Rick) Darlington, the rest of the staff, Mr. (Brent) Harrison, Mr. (Greg) Faught and the rest of the administration for allowing me to be here.”

McCarty emphasized that he is not leaving Enterprise for a different coaching job – though he plans to remain coaching wherever his wife’s job takes them – and that he will miss Enterprise.

“It’s been a unique experience and I’ve loved every minute of being an Enterprise Wildcat,” he said. “I will most definitely miss being here. It means a lot to myself and to my family. It’s just a great community.

“I know Coach Dugger personally and he is a great, great coach. The weight room and the defensive backs are going to be in just as good of hands or honestly, probably better hands, with him.”

Coach Darlington said there were certainly no hard feelings on the move and that the door will always be open if McCarty returns to the area.

“I love him and if he ever wants to come back here he’ll be welcomed,” Darlington said. “He was one of my first hires and I’d take him back in a heartbeat.”

McCarty said that leaving the state is just temporary and his family plans to return to Alabama in a year or two.

“It’s just a temporary thing and we will be back in Alabama for good in a few years,” he said. “If the opportunity to come back is here, I would love to.

“I’m very appreciative of Coach Darlington for giving me the opportunity to come here and I’m grateful for (defensive coordinator Jed) Kennedy for taking me under his wing, too.”

Darlington reached out to Dugger, who is a former assistant under Darlington, to replace McCarty. Dugger spent the 2019 season as the head coach at Tavares High where he helped guide the school to a 5-5 record after winning just nine games in the previous three seasons combined.

Before taking the position at Tavares, Dugger had been the receivers and wing backs coach for Darlington at Apopka, Fla. When Darlington accepted the position at Enterprise he reached out to Dugger to bring him with him.

“When I got the job (here) I asked him to come but he wanted to interview for some head coaching jobs,” Darlington said. “When (former offensive coordinator) Shane (Corley) left in the summer, I offered him that job, too, but he had just accepted the position at Tavares.”

Darlington said that Dugger was a great coach but that his familiarity with the way he does things was a big key for the hire, as well.

“The kids loved him, he’s a hard worker and he understands the way I do things,” Darlington said. “I know him and more importantly he knows me and knows what he’s getting into. He’s a really good young coach.”

Dugger grew up outside of Jacksonville, Fla. and attended Baker County High School before attending the University of North Florida.

After earning a degree in finance, Dugger was a corporate accountant for two years before returning to Baker County to coach football as an assistant. After that he worked for Oak Leaf High in Florida and then Apopka.

“This is my third or fourth visit up here and I’ve been in contact with Coach (Darlington) several different times,” Dugger said of coming to Enterprise. “Coming up here and seeing the passion and community support was big.

“I’m from a very small town in Northeast Florida and it has a little more of that feel here than it did at Tavares.

“I’ve worked with Coach (Darlington) before and I know he shares the same values I have and the program is being built the right way. I love it here, so I’m really excited.”