One of Sam Sirianni Jr.’s former players will succeed him as the next head football coach at Fort Myers High School.
Joey Mendes, a 2006 Fort Myers graduate and the head football coach at Cypress Lake the past five seasons, was named to replace Sirianni on Jan. 29. Sirianni announced his retirement after 24 seasons as the team’s head coach in November.
Mendes began on the Cypress Lake coaching staff in 2016 and was promoted to head coach in 2021 when Richie Rode departed for Bishop Verot.
The Panthers went 23-30 under Mendes, including records of 7-6 and 7-4 the last two seasons along with back-to-back district titles for the first time in school history. In 2024, the team reached their first regional final in school history, upsetting two teams on the road before falling to the eventual Class 3A champions in Miami Northwestern.
Mendes played under Sirianni at Fort Myers from 2002 to 2005.
Sirianni ended his head coaching career with an overall record of 175-81, winning 13 district championships.
Last year, Fort Myers went 3-7, its worst record since 1971, when the Green Wave finished 1-8-1 in Sam Sirianni Sr.’s third season. Fort Myers’ 2025 season was marred by season-ending injuries to a handful of key players, including star defensive tackle Kendall Guervil. The Green Wave also lost the sideline guidance of Sirianni Jr., who suffered a stroke on Sept. 2 and was unable to finish the year. Fort Myers went on to lose seven of its final eight games.
Dan DeLuca contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Joey Mendes to replace Sam Sirianni Jr. as Fort Myers head football coach
Reporting by Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
