Prep football: Lely tabs Fritz Jacques as new coach

Thirteen years after wrapping up his two-sport career at Lely High School, Fritz Jacques is starting another one at his alma mater.

Already the Lely boys basketball head coach, Jacques was named to the same position for the Trojans football team on Wednesday. Jacques, a football assistant the past four years, was the interim coach this spring after Maurice Belser resigned in April.

"I'm excited for the opportunity," Jacques said. "It's a privilege to have this opportunity and to coach these young men. I'm ready to go."

Jacques has been the Trojans basketball coach since 2013. He will continue that job, running both marquee programs at Naples’ second-oldest high school.

Lely athletic director Bill Mottola said Jacques used this spring as a dress rehearsal for the fall, when football and basketball could overlap for a few weeks. Jacques ran quick and efficient two-hour football practices before going to coach AAU basketball.

Related story: Lely rebooting under interim coach Fritz Jacques

“For several weeks he did that just to see his ability to be able to handle the workload,” Mottola said. “He was able to do that without any problem.”

The hardest part — scheduling — is done, Jacques said. He has next seasons' schedules for the football and basketball teams set, which is a big part of the offseason work. Jacques also has the offseason workout schedule coordinated for both programs.

Jacques, 31, hopes to provide stability to the football program where he spent four seasons on varsity. He will be the third Lely coach in three seasons and fourth in six seasons.

After graduating in 2004, Jacques started at defensive back for four years at Kent State (2004-07), an NCAA Division I college football program. He coached football at Palmetto Ridge in 2009 before returning to Lely as a football assistant and basketball junior varsity coach in 2010.

It’s been a tumultuous 16 months for the Trojans. In February 2016, Culmer St. Jean was fired after three seasons for failing to obtain the proper coaching certifications. Like his former teammate Jacques, St. Jean was a Lely alumnus supported by players and fans.

Related story: Belser out as Lely's head coach

Belser never felt accepted by the Trojans fan base that was still upset at St. Jean’s firing, leading to the coach’s resignation after just one season. Last year Belser turned a team that went 2-8 in 2015 to a 6-4 program that barely missed the playoffs by losing in a tiebreaker.

Late last season, a large contingent of Trojans protested Belser’s decision to suspend a starter. It led to a rift between players and coach. However, Lely players have been big supporters of Jacques this spring.

“I’m glad and happy that he’s officially the head coach, and all the other players feel the same way,” said rising senior Jean Joseph, who led Collier County in receiving yards last season. “He is Lely.”

Jacques grew up near Lely, in the same neighborhood where many of his players live. Though he was born in Naples, he's of Haitian descent, also like many of the Trojans.

"These kids need somebody to believe in them, and I do," Jacques said. "I tell them every day they have to believe in themselves. I'm trying to make other people believe in them, too."

His rapport with the players is advantage for Jacques, but Mottola said it’s not the only reason he picked his new head coach.

“It’s a huge bonus to be able to relate to kids and to be able to speak Creole,” Mottola said. “It’s not a deal-closer by any means. … It was just obvious to our committee that he was the best candidate. His passion for this school, especially the football and basketball teams, is just unmatched.”

Jacques’ job as head basketball coach started under similar circumstances as his first football head coaching positions. In 2013, then-basketball coach Ryan Bowen resigned midseason. Jacques took over in the interim, and the Trojans surged to the regional finals that season.

Because basketball starts a little later next season, the overlap with football might not be too bad for Jacques. The final regular-season football games are Nov. 3 with the playoffs starting Nov. 10. The first day the FHSAA allows for basketball practice is Nov. 6.