Stanton hired Dennis Bettinger as its new head football coach on July 9, the second move on the sidelines in 2025 for the Jacksonville magnet school.
Ryan Carter coached Stanton during the 2024 season before stepping down in spring. The athletic department subsequently appointed former offensive assistant Bailey Skinner to direct the Blue Devils during spring football.
Bettinger brings previous head coaching experience during four years at Wolfson from 2018-21. He finished 11-27 there, which included a 7-3 mark in 2019 for the Wolfpack’s most successful season since qualifying for the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs in 2004.
Of the 17 Gateway Conference football programs, four (Englewood, First Coast, Stanton and Westside) have announced coaching changes during the off-season.
Stanton competes as an independent in football within the Sunshine State Athletic Association. The Blue Devils finished 4-6 in 2024, losing 36-24 to Interlachen in the SSAA playoffs.
The academic magnet school has endured years of struggle in football, finishing above .500 only once (in 2017) since returning to the gridiron in 1998. However, Stanton has fared better in cross country, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis and flag football, placing sixth in the Gateway All-Sports standings for boys and fourth for girls in 2024-25.
Stanton begins its 2025 season on Aug. 15 at home against Umatilla.
Dennis Bettinger coaching record
2018 (Wolfson): 2-8
2019 (Wolfson): 7-3
2020 (Wolfson): 0-8
2021 (Wolfson): 2-8
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New coach at Stanton: Here’s what’s next for Blue Devils high school football in 2025.
Reporting by Clayton Freeman, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
