Veteran prep football coach, recruiting expert Johnny Cofield dies
· Yahoo Sports
Johnny Cofield made his mark at the high school level, but his influence reached far beyond the football field.
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Driven by a deep commitment to young athletes, the former player and longtime coach, recruiting specialist and media member dedicated himself to helping them reach their potential and pursue their dreams. Those who knew Cofield often described him as a true connector — someone who knew people who knew people — and who used those relationships to open doors for others.
In fact, when Ira Reynolds was named the head football coach at FAMU DRS in 2003, his first coaching hire was Cofield, a former running back at Rickards and Florida A&M and assistant for the Raiders.
"Johnny had such a huge impact not only on players and coaches, but on the entire community," said Reynolds, who now lives and coaches in Port St. Lucie. "He helped so many players and people across the Big Bend. He was a jovial kind of guy - he looked at the good side of everything - and people are drawn to that. This is a major blow to me, and tough on everyone."
Cofield, co-founder of 4Quartersonline - a local company dedicated to providing information about Big Bend area football players - died Tuesday, June 2, in Tallahassee. He was 67.
Johnny Cofield leaves lasting impact on Big Bend football
Founded in the spring of 2009, 4Quartersonline became a fixture at high school football practices and games across the Big Bend and surrounding areas. Its annual media days — held in Tallahassee and Panama City — consistently drew strong turnouts from teams, coaches and players eager for the exposure.
In a previous interview with the Tallahassee Democrat, Cofield said his motivation was simple.
“To give exposure to a lot of kids in the area. To give kids opportunities,” he said. “I personally loved my high school days. It was a lot of fun. So we — along with fellow owner Marc Daniels — wanted to create a situation where they could have a chance to be on set, to experience a Media Day. It’s a big deal for them.”
Former Wakulla coach Scott Klees said he was shaken by the news of Cofield’s death.
“He was an unbelievable person and an unbelievable coach,” Klees said. “When I first got into coaching, he was really good to me, teaching me the ropes. And with his media company, he gave so much of himself because he loved the sport and understood how much it meant to those young men. He wanted to promote players and give them opportunities to play in college.”
Cofield, who was married for more than 40 years and had two daughters, launched a recruiting service in the early 1990s while still coaching. His knowledge of the game, outgoing personality and extensive network only strengthened his credibility with high school and college coaches across the region.
Marc Daniels, co-founder and media director of 4Quartersonline, said the foundation of the business grew out of countless conversations at Cofield’s kitchen table. Daniels, a former Godby athlete and FAMU student who worked for the university’s student newspaper, brought an interest in marketing and technology to the venture.
In the early days, Cofield even mailed VHS highlight tapes to Daniels in Tampa, where they were converted into DVDs.
“Our goal was simple: how do we shine a spotlight on these kids?” Daniels said. “We adjusted and did whatever was needed — media days, live streams, video content. We wanted to help the players and coaches in our own backyard. We knew people who knew people - and that was really it. It has been tough, but we’re going to keep it going in Johnny’s honor.”
Services for Cofield are scheduled for Friday, June 12, at noon at Old West Florida Primitive Baptist Church.
This article originally appeared on High School Sports Wire: Johnny Cofield opened doors and changed lives across the Big Bend