Ely’s Melvin Randall Named 2013 Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year
GAINESVILLE (April 9) – Melvin Randall of Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach has been named the 2013 Florida Dairy Farmers Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school basketball coaches and media representatives.
Randall, the two-time Class 7A COY, guided the Tigers to a 27-1 record and their second straight state championship, Ely’s third state title in his tenure (6A, 2007) as well as the fourth state crown (3A, 1993) in the program’s history.
Randall finished with 141 points in winning this year’s award in a very tight race over runner-up Neal Goldman of Tampa Jesuit, the Class 5A COY who led his Tigers to a 31-1 record and the program’s first state title since 1984, and finished second with 132 points. Finishing third was Josh Kohn of Oviedo Hagerty, the Class 8A COY who led the Huskies to their first state championship and tallied 115 points, just edging two-time Class 6A COY Lawton Williams III of Miami Norland who was fourth with 113 points and led the Vikings to their second straight state title as well as their fourth crown in the last eight years (2006, 2008).
Rounding out the voting were Class 4A COY Jeff Turner of Orlando Lake Highland Prep (96) who led the Highlanders to their first state title, Class 3A COY Jim Martin of Jacksonville Providence (84) who guided the Stallions to their second state title (2A, 2010), Class 2A COY Joe Dawson of Boca Raton Grandview Prep (79) who led the Pride to their first state title, and Class 1A COY Poe White of Holmes County (40) who led the Blue Devils to their first state crown.
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 21st year of these unique awards, and we are honoring the state’s top athletes and coaches in all 30 sanctioned and recognized FHSAA sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
2013 FINAL VOTING RESULTS (Note: Points awarded on a 10-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis)
Player 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total
Melvin Randall 8 4 1 2 2 3 0 0 141
Neal Goldman 6 1 7 1 3 2 0 0 132
Josh Kohn 6 4 1 0 1 2 5 1 115
Lawton Williams III 2 4 6 3 2 1 1 1 113
Jeff Turner 1 6 3 0 4 1 3 1 96
Jim Martin 2 3 0 4 1 5 2 0 84
Joe Dawson 0 2 5 4 1 1 3 2 79
Poe White 0 1 2 1 1 0 1 10 40
Past Boys’ Basketball Coaching Winners:
1993 – Bernard Wilkes, Jacksonville Ribault
1994 – John Ellerbee, Malone
1995 – Bob Carroll, Bradenton Southeast
1996 – Wade Edmond, Pompano Beach Ely
1997 – Joey Pons, Fort Walton Beach
1998 – Bruce Rosebrock, Jacksonville Wolfson
1999 – Vernon Eppinette, Port St. Joe
2000 – Anthony Long, Gainesville
2001 – Mark Rickman, Orlando Boone
2002 – Ricky McCullough, Chipley
2003 – Mark Lieberman, Miami Pace
2004 – Mike Gaudy, Cocoa Beach
2005 – Danny Wright, Lakewood
2006 – Matt Hixenbaugh, Winter Park
2007 – Steve Kohn, Winter Park Lake Howell
2008 – Lawton Williams III, Miami Norland
2009 – Kelly Beckham, Gainesville
2010 – Eli Bryant, Tallahassee Rickards
2011 – Fred Ross, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer
2012 – Billy Washington, Lake Wales
