Apalachee’s Mike Hancock announced he is stepping down from his post as head football coach at the school, for reasons such as PTSD, anxiety and grief following the fatal shooting at the school in September.
The shooting took the lives of four people at Apalachee: two students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angelo, as well as two teachers, Cristian Irimie and Apalachee football defensive coordinator, Richard Aspinwall.
The former Apalachee coach took to X to announce his resignation.
“The past seven years have allowed me to make some great memories and build long lasting relationships and friendships,” said Hancock via social media.
“After much prayer and seeking spiritual guidance, I have decided to resign my position as Head Football Coach at the Chee. These past several months have been difficult on me both mentally and physically. And at this time, I need to step away from coaching and work on my mental health. As coaches, we are a prideful group and often times don’t seek the help that we need to get better. To be open and honest, I have been struggling with PTSD, anxiety, grief, and depression. I allowed those things to cripple me for the past few months. It is through God’s grace and me humbling myself before the cross that I am seeking the mental help and healing that I need to be myself again. I have started attending sessions with a Christian counselor and learning to work through my anxiety, grief, and depression. In saying this, I encourage anyone that is struggling with mental help to seek guidance and get the help that you need. My new mission is to help other coaches learn to work through any mental health issues that are a struggle for them. Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to talk!”
In the wake of the tragic incident at Apalachee, the school cancelled two games following the shooting as the Wildcats finished 0-8 in 2024.
Hancock had been with the school since 2018, coaching in various roles before being promoted to the Wildcats head coach in 2023 from his post as the schools defensive coordinator.
The perpetrator in custody, who is not worth naming, was charged with four counts of felony murder in October.
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