South Marion hires Kevin Saunders as school's first ever football coach

Kevin Saunders has seen a lot in his 40-plus years of coaching football. He found success in his home state of Virginia, then in Kentucky and Tennessee, and most recently in Georgia — compiling a 195-111 record along the way. His 11th head coaching gig, however, will present a challenge Saunders has yet to face: being a program's first-ever football coach.

"That's probably the only thing I haven't done," Saunders joked during a phone interview with the Ocala Star-Banner. Ocala's soon-to-open South Marion High School and athletic director Colby Wisdom named Kevin Saunders the school's football coach on Wednesday, April 15, marking a milestone for the county's newest high school. "We are excited to announce our first head football coach for South Marion High School, coach Kevin Saunders.

Coach Saunders comes to us from Georgia with over 25 years of coaching experience. A former state champion with 24 playoff appearances, knocking on the door of 200 career wins, coach Saunders brings a level of expertise that we feel very confident in," Wisdom said in a statement. "Our administration took the hiring of this coaching position very seriously for the school and this community.

We are super excited to get coach Saunders here and we look forward to an exciting start to South Marion football under his leadership. " More from South Marion athletics: Travis Licht leaving Vanguard basketball, jumping into unknown at South Marion Meet the Bears: Marion County's new South Marion High School's mascot, team colors are set Saunders will arrive in Ocala with a reputation of being a program builder — a necessary quality at his newest stop considering he will be building the South Marion Bears' football program from Ground Zero. Asked what was attractive about the South Marion job, Saunders was quick to reply.