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Weiner Voted Coach Of The Year

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By KATHERINE SMITH

ksmith@tampatrib.com

Published: January 30, 2009

TAMPA - Most coaches forced to deal with a barrage of adversity, including losing their starting quarterback midway through a season, might wilt under the pressure.

Not Robert Weiner. The adversity his Plant Panthers faced last year on the way to its second Class 4A state championship amped the head coach up and Thursday he was rewarded for his success by winning the Florida Dairy Farmers Football Coach of the Year award.

"The adversity we dealt with recharged my team and that really reinvigorated my coaching," Weiner said. "This group, long before we won a state championship, was a special team. They made it fun."

Weiner received 128 points, based on voting by media and coaches, which edged out second-place Mike Cullison of Sanford Seminole (123). It's the second time in his five years as the head coach at Plant Weiner has won the award.

"I always look at this as a team award," Weiner said. "Because a coach is judged by how his team performs and by how the coaching staff he surrounds himself with performs."

Plant quarterback Aaron Murray, who was honored as the 4A Player of the Year after returning from a broken leg that sidelined him for seven games, placed fourth in the Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football voting. Tallahassee Godby quarterback A.J. Graham was named Mr. Football.

Weiner became only the second coach in the 17-year history of the award to win it twice. Lakeland's Bill Castle won in 1998 and 2004.

"Just winning it one time is a tremendous honor," said Weiner, who was honored as the Coach of the Year after the Panthers capped a perfect season with the 2006 4A state championship. "But to be in the same breath as Bill Castle, who is one of the most accomplished coaches in the nation and who does it right in the way he coaches his kids, that's not bad company."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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