- July 26, 2024
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In the past three seasons, Matanzas High School’s wrestling program earned a state team championship while four wrestlers won individual state titles.
Now the program will be starting from scratch. All of the school’s wrestling coaches have resigned, according to school administrators and wrestlers’ parents.
The Pirates are finalizing the hiring of a new head coach, Principal Kristin Bozeman said.
“We hope to be able to make that announcement here in the next few days or weeks,” Bozeman said on Thursday, June 6. “We're looking to move forward for the future of our program and for the betterment of our students.”
Head coach Mike Fries originally resigned during this past wrestling season, effective at the end of the year, but later tried to withdraw his resignation, according to parents. The withdrawal was not accepted, parents said, even after some parents met with school administrators asking to allow him to come back. One parent said they spoke with Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore, and she told them it was the principal’s decision.
Bozeman said Fries continues to be a teacher at Matanzas.
He submitted his resignation. We accepted that resignation. And we're moving forward. Of course, I wish Mike the best. The record speaks for itself.”
— KRISTIN BOZEMAN, Matanzas principal
“Mr. Fries submitted his resignation and that's really about all I can tell you. I'm really not supposed to talk about personnel matters,” she said. “He submitted his resignation. We accepted that resignation. And we're moving forward. Of course, I wish Mike the best. The record speaks for itself.”
Fries did not respond to texts and phone messages from the Observer for this story other than to say he is no longer with the team.
He led the Pirates’ girls wrestling team to the 2023 state championship, the first team championship in school history. The girls team also placed third at state in 2022 and 2024.
Fries' daughter, Tiana Fries, won a state championship in 2022, the first year the Florida High School Athletic Association sanctioned a girls wrestling state tournament. Kendall Bibla won a state title in 2023, and Jordan and Mariah Mills won championships this year, becoming the first brother and sister to win state wrestling titles in the same season.
Five Matanzas wrestlers have also been state runners-up since 2022, including senior Brielle Bibla in 2023. The Bibla sisters live in St. Johns County. They had attended Tocoi Creek High School in 2021-22, but their parents decided to home school them the following year so that they could wrestle for Fries at Matanzas. Kendall Bibla will be a senior in the upcoming school year.
Fries, the former head wrestling coach at Seabreeze High, had been with the Pirates’ program since 2021-22. He took over the girls team the following season when John White stepped down. With head boys coach T.J. Gillin deciding this past season to step back to an assistant’s role to spend more time with his family, Fries became lead coach for both the boys and girls.
The Pirates had six wrestling coaches, including Fries and Gillin, on staff this past school year. With the girls and boys teams often traveling to separate tournaments throughout the season, Fries had requested additional coaches, parents said.
After Fries resigned, the rest of the staff followed him, Matanzas athletic director Jordan Butler said.
Butler said the school has selected a new head coach who is going through the school district’s on-boarding process.
Rachel Mills said Fries was more than a coach for her four children who have wrestled with the Pirates and Fries' Legend Athletics wrestling club.
“Coach Fries was not just a coach, he was a friend and a mentor for life,” she said. “I can't even count how many hours he spent outside of school hours teaching and encouraging my children and other athletes to reach all their goals that didn't even pertain to wrestling. He encouraged his athletes to become better humans and sincerely wanted them to succeed in all aspects of life.”
