After a remarkable 2021 season, Ackerman looks to continue Belleview rebuild
Brady Ackerman, the head football coach of the Belleview Rattlers, poses for a photo at Belleview High School in Belleview, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
Brady Ackerman, the head football coach of the Belleview Rattlers, poses for a photo at Belleview High School in Belleview, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
Brady Ackerman accepted the head coaching job at Belleview in February, and quickly went to work.
The Belleview Rattlers experienced an historic turnaround on the football field in 2021. Belleview won eight games for the first time since 2004 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Ackerman understood and appreciated the tradition of Belleview when he took the head coaching position.
“Belleview is a unique place because it’s part of Ocala, but it also has its own community,” Ackerman said. “The tradition of Coach Hall and what he did here plus the fanbase made it a great fit.”
Brady Ackerman, the head football coach of the Belleview Rattlers, poses for a photo at Belleview High School in Belleview, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.
The Rattlers found great success in running the Air Raid offensive system. Air Raid was invented by former Valdosta State and Kentucky head football coach Hal Mumme and current Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach.
Ackerman learned the Air Raid from his time at Valdosta State, where he worked with Leach to implement the innovative pass-happy system.
“I cut my teeth at Valdosta State where I first learned about the Air Raid system,” Ackerman said. “At the time, all I knew was the Steve Spurrier ‘Fun-n-Gun’ offense that we ran at Florida, so Air Raid was a new system for me.”
“Air Raid has been used for over 25 years now, so it’s stood the test of time,” he added.
Ackerman was a member of Steve Spurrier’s first Florida team in 1990.
Spurrier went on to win six outright Southeastern Conference titles and a national championship in 1996, beating in-state rival Florida State 52-20 in the Sugar Bowl.
“It was an honor to play for Coach Spurrier and to be one of the first ever SEC title teams at Florida,” Ackerman said. “When Coach Spurrier first got to Florida, I knew it would be a different place.”
Being a member of Spurrier’s first Florida team brings back memories of Ackerman’s first spring at UF.
“At my first spring game, Coach Spurrier came up to me and asked my name. I said, ‘Brady Ackerman’, but he kept calling me Grady, not Brady.”
Ackerman then asked, “Coach, why do you keep calling me Grady?”
Spurrier replied, “Grady sounds tougher than Brady!”
“Coach Spurrier was the best to play for and he has helped me throughout my career,” Ackerman said.
Before accepting the Belleview job, Ackerman spent three seasons as an assistant at Jackson State University. He credits his time at JSU for teaching him about connecting with players and building a culture.
“Being at Jackson State strengthened me as a coach but also enhanced my ability to connect with players and build a positive culture,” Ackerman said. “The fan support there was amazing; heck, we had more fans at our home games than many D1 schools!”
Ackerman is very proud of his first team at Belleview and looks to continue the rebuild in 2022.
“We have some good talent coming back in senior quarterback Ernest Flythe (32 total touchdowns in 2021), running back Jaheem Shannon (10.9 yards/carry), linebacker Cornelius Bentley Green (team high 52 tackles), and wide receiver Andrew Lanctot (21 yards/catch),” Ackerman said. “Our young guys like offensive tackle Ethan Dodsworth, who is 6’ 4” and 275 pounds, two young wide receivers in JJ White and Juice Lawton, will help lead the way once again.”
Ackerman looks back fondly on his first Belleview team, much the same way Coach Spurrier looks back at his first Florida team.
“I am so proud of our 2021 team for winning eight games,” Ackerman said. “To go from no wins to the postseason was hard to do and I am very proud of our seniors and our team for how they bought in to a new way of doing things.
“The future is bright at Belleview, and I am excited for the next challenge.”
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