After 47 years, Bill Castle retires as Lakeland's football coach

Bill Castle's focus has always been on the next game, only now there isn't a next game. He coached his last high school football game and announced he is retiring.

Castle made his decision Monday night and informed the school on Tuesday morning that he was retiring after 52 years at Lakeland, five years as an assistant and 47 years at the helm of one of the state's premier programs. Lakeland athletic director Deron Collins made the official announcement late Tuesday afternoon.

"I've been at it 52 years, and it's time," Castle told The Ledger on Tuesday. "It's time to move on and spend more time with my wife. I know there will be times that I'll miss it, but I've been here a long time. It's time to move on while my health is good."

Castle, 77, said he plans to do some traveling more with his wife, Shelley, going to places he didn't have time to go while he was coach. He plays racquetball and golf. He's also been involved in racing his Jack Russell terriers.

"I don't have any regrets," Castle said. "I don't feel like I've worked a day in my life. I'm not looking at the clock to go home at 4 or 5. I just really enjoyed every minute of it. It's been real fun."

Castle retires as the winningest football coach in Florida history with 473 career wins. He passed the late Corky Rogers late this past season. He won eight state titles and two national titles. He goes out on top, with his final state title coming in the final game of his final season, a fact he said had no bearing on his decision.

"It didn't hurt," Castle said with a laugh. "But I never let that decide it."

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Castle said he'd been pondering the decision for the past five seasons. Still, the news took the Lakeland administration by surprise.

"No one knew this was happening," Collins said. "He came in at 8 this morning and talked to Art (Martinez, Lakeland principal) and me and said it was time."

Collins said everyone was still in shock over Castle's decision.

"There's no replacing Bill Castle," Collins said. "He's a true champion. He's a winner in everything he does. He's a classy guy."

Castle takes over for Quinn

A native of Tennessee, Castle was an assistant coach for one year under Quinn at Lake City Columbia in 1970 then followed Quinn to Lakeland, where the was his defensive backs coach for five years. Castle nearly followed Quinn to Bartow but was offered the Lakeland job.

Castle became head coach at a time he originally thought he'd be headed back to Tennessee. Instead, he found his home for more than a half century.

"When I came to Florida, I thought I'd be here for about five years then move back to Tennessee," Castle said.

Prior to Castle becoming head coach, Lakeland had never made the FHSAA playoffs, which began in 1963. He led the Dreadnaughts to their first district title in 1979 with former Lakeland Christian coach Wayne Peace at quarterback. It was the first of 29 district titles that the Dreadnaughts won under Castle.

Since then, the achievements piled up all the way through his final season of 2022, when Lakeland finished 14-0 and en route to the state title — the seventh state title that came in an undefeated season.

Castle had opportunities to leave during the course of those 47 years, but never took any of the job offers very serious.

"I've never been one who thought the grass is greener," Castle said. "You just improve it or try to improve it. I had some opportunities but never anything serious. Shelley was happy here and didn't want to move. Blair was in school and didn't want to move."

Although Castle couldn't name a career highlight, he had a highlight most coaches could only dream of when Lakeland won the state championship and a national title in 2006 with his son Blair, now a lawyer in Tampa, as the starting quarterback.

Castle retires with a 473-98 record. The eight titles, which came in '86, '96, '99, '04, '05, '06, '18 and '22, are the most in Florida from a public school. He led Lakeland to the championship game nine times with the only loss coming in 2008 to Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas. Lakeland is 5-1 all time vs. Aquinas in state title games.

Castle's tenure at Lakeland featured two eras in which he led Lakeland to record-setting win streaks. Lakeland had 60-game regular-season win streak from 1996 into 2001, which ended with a 2-0 loss to Haines City. And the program had a 53-game winning streak from 2004 and into 2007. During that span, the Dreadnaughts won three state titles and two national titles in '05 and '06.

Castle, who is a member of the Polk County Sports Hall of Fame, the FHSAA Hall of Fame and was selected the FHSAA Coach of the Century, was quick to praise the many principals and assistant coaches along with the community and booster support that he said played big roles in the success.

Beyond that, Castle was never one to look back on achievements. It was always the next game.

"I suppose one day I'll look back on it, now that I'm out of it, and feel that I'm satisfied that I've given my all to this program," Castle said.

Polk County athletic director Dan Talbot, who was an assistant coach under Castle in the mid-2000s looked at it another way.

"Honestly, I think he is the Lakeland program," Talbot said. "He's been there for 50 years. Think of all the student-athletes he's had an impact on. He's been at Lakeland longer than I've been alive."

What's next for Lakeland football?

Although Lakeland graduated the majority of starters from the state championship team, Castle isn't leaving the cupboard bare. He pointed to a number of top players who are back, including running backs D'Marius Rucker and Markell Johnson, wide receivers Jamar Taylor Jr. and Derajah Hardy, tight end Omari Mixon and defensive standouts Jack Procter, Joshua Smith and Brayshon Williams.

"There's a good nucleus coming back," Castle said.

As to who will coach them, the process begins this week. Collins called members of the coaching staff to tell them of Castle's decision. Assistant coaches have until Friday to inform Martinez of their interest in taking over the Lakeland program.

Castle won't be involved in the process, but he did pass on to Collins and Martinez his thoughts about his assistant coaches. Then the school will open up the position to coaches from the outside. Whoever gets the job will start a new era of Lakeland football.

"It's going to be a weird, weird feeling to think that there won't be a Bill Castle on the Lakeland sideline," Collins said.

Roy Fuoco can be reached at 863-802-7526 or at roy.fuoco@theledger.com. Follow him on Twitter: @RoyFuoco.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Bill Castle, winningest football coach in Florida history, retires