Tod Creneti, the head coach who built Saint Stephen’s football into an independent school powerhouse, has resigned his position after nine seasons at the helm. Veteran assistant coach A.J. Brown has been named as Creneti’s successor.

The Falcons posted a record of 68-32 during Creneti’s tenure, including an impressive 50-7 mark over the past five seasons. Saint Stephen’s advanced to four consecutive Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC) independent state championship games under Creneti from 2015-18, and won back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. The Falcons fell one win short of a fifth straight trip to the Florida Bowl last season, finishing 9-2.

Creneti’s teams have established the standard of excellence for the fledgling SSAC, winning 24 consecutive games between August 2016 and September 2018. The Falcons’ loss in the 2019 playoff semifinals to eventual SSAC champ The Master’s Academy snapped a 25-game home winning streak. A series of student-athletes coached by Creneti have successfully gone on to the collegiate ranks, including Division I signees Sydney and Chase Brown (Illinois), Jacob Westberry (Fresno State), Wyatt Knopfke (Boston College), Cam Vining (Army), Dylan Davis (Furman) and others.

Brown, who has served as a physical education teacher at the school and as secondary coach on Creneti’s staff since 2010, will guide the Falcons through spring practice and into the 2020 season. He has also been the school’s head track and field coach since 2015, and led the Falcons to a boys Class 1A state championship in 2017.