Matt Brunson

A graduate of Baker, Brunson was a four-year letter winner at Troy University from 1987-91 and a three-year starter as a nose guard. He earned all All-Gulf South Conference honors while at Troy and played on the Trojans 1987 national championship team. He was a head coach at three high schools in Florida in a 25-year span with state titles at Baker in 2016 and 2020. At Vernon, he took over a program that was 6-44 in the previous five years and turned it a winning one with a 35-12 record over four years, highlighted by three state semifinal teams. The situation at Crestview was similar where Brunson led the Bulldogs to a 64-40 record over 10 seasons with a state runner-up appearance in 2002. In 2011, he returned home to Baker, and guided the Gators to a 114-21 record (84.4 winning percentage) with the two state titles plus a state runner-up finish in 2018. Coach Brunson left Florida with a career record of 213-73 in directing teams at Vernon (1997-2000), Crestview (2001-10) and his alma mater of Baker (2011-21). His teams averaged nine wins a season over his 25 years as a head coach in Florida. He was a four-time FHSAA Coach of the Year winner. In 2023 Brunson arrived in Opp to replace Mike DuBose as the head football coach with great promise for the Bobcats.