He's back! Gainesville High alum, ex-Gator Ian Scott named Hurricanes' head football coach

After nearly four months, the Gainesville High School football program finally got its guy.

And boy, was it worth the wait.

After a long, winding coaching search, the Hurricanes named Gainesville alum Ian Scott as the program's next head coach Wednesday morning. Scott replaces Dock Pollard, who stepped down from the head coaching post on Oct. 28, 2022, after an 0-10 season.

Scott, who played for the Hurricanes from 1997-2000, brings a laundry list of experience. All of which got its start on the 1900 block of Northwest 13th Street.

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Scott brings playing experience from all levels

Scott suited up for the Purple Hurricanes on the football field and basketball court. On the hardwood, Scott helped Gainesville win its third of five state championships in 1999.

When his high school career came to a close, he chose football — a fact that came as a surprise considering Scott didn't begin playing until his freshman year of high school.

Nonetheless, four seasons on Gainesville's defensive line was enough to draw the attention of the football mastermind up the road, Florida's Steve Spurrier.

However, Spurrier left Gainesville for a shot at the NFL before Scott's arrival. Instead, it was Ron Zook who inherited the Hurricanes' standout.

During his sophomore and junior seasons, Scott was a staple on Florida's defensive line, earning second-team All-SEC selections both seasons. Scott started 23 games for the Gators before declaring for the NFL draft after his junior campaign.

After being selected by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft, Scott went on to have a six-year professional career, which also featured stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers.

Scott no stranger to being called 'Coach'

As soon as Scott left the NFL as a player, he returned to the sideline, this time under a headset rather than under a helmet and set of shoulder pads.

Scott first started coaching at the high school level, serving time at Daniel High School in Central, N.C. — a town just outside of his hometown in Greenville.

Then-Florida football coach Jim McElwain invited Scott back to Gainesville as a graduate assistant in 2017 — an opportunity he followed with a three-season stop at the University of Central Florida. In 2021, Scott reunited with McElwain at Central Michigan, where he served as the Chippewas' defensive line coach.

However, when then-interim head coach Steve Wilks and the Carolina Panthers came calling with a need for a defensive line coach in December 2022, Scott was on the move once more — this time to take a swing at coaching in the NFL.

And now we're here and Scott is back where it all began — the 1900 Block of Northwest 13th Street in Gainesville.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville High alum Ian Scott returns to alma mater as head football coach