JOHN PEACOCK - HEAD COACH
Coach Peacock enters his 27th year in the Venice teaching and coaching community. Coach Peacock has helped over 100 student athletes become collegiate football players totaling over 30 million dollars in scholarships. Coach Peacock was born and raised in Venice. Coach Peacock and his beautiful wife Georgia have 6 children and 8 grand kids.
Education
-
BS – Georgia Southern
-
Masters – National Louis University (Summa Cum Laude)
Playing Experience
-
1989-1992 Cardinal Mooney HS
-
1993 – 1995 East Carolina University
-
1995-1997 Georgia Southern University
Coaching Record
-
186 - 44
-
18 consecutive Play-off appearances
-
11 District Championships
-
8 Regional Championships
-
8 Final Fours
-
7 Top 100 Finishes
-
2 State Runner-Up
-
3 State Championship
COACHING HONORS
-
National Strength and Cond COY - 2010
-
FACA Coach of the Year – 10 times
-
Herald tribune Coach of the Year – 2007, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024
-
Dairy farmers 7A Coach of the Year – 2017 & 2024
-
Dairy Farmers Florida Coach of the Year - 2017
LARRY SHANNON - DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Originally from Starke, Fl, Coach Shannon is our defensive coordinator and Assistant Athletic Director. He is entering his 22nd year at VHS. Under his guidance, the Indian defense has been considered one of the best in the area. They have allowed, on average, only 11.2 points per game the past three seasons. Coach Shannon shows a high intensity and extreme passion for the game. That emotion has transferred to his players, and on Friday nights you can see the defense swarming to the ball and playing inspired.
As a player, Coach Shannon was a very successful athlete. From 1993 to 1997 he was an outstanding wide receiver for the East Carolina Pirates. Upon graduating from ECU with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1997, he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. Coach Shannon was in the Dolphins organization from 1998 to 2000, in 2000 he went to the Oakland Raiders, and in 2002 was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He received his Masters in Exercise and Sports Science in 2004 from ECU. Coach Shannon was an assistant coach at ECU from 2003-2004. He has been a coach and teacher at Venice High School since 2004.
Larry is married to Kweli Shannon and has four children: Jannah, a VHS graduate who is proudly serving in the United States Navy, Larry David, Aaliyah, and Sophia.
TIM WEIDLEIN - INSIDE LINEBACKERS/SPECIAL TEAMS
Born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico Coach Weidlein enters his 17th season on the Venice High Football staff coaching inside linebackers. Coach Weidlein, during his high school football career lettered all four years. After graduating in 2002 from Antilles High School he received an academic scholarship from Kent State University. There, Coach Weidlein majored in Health and Physical Education and completed his degree in May of 2007. In 2009 Coach Weidlein completed his masters in Physical Education at the University of South Florida.
Coach Weidlein will be teaching PE and Leadership at Student Leadership Academy. He has also been the Head Coach of the Venice Girls Track and Field team and Boys Weightlifting team. He is excited that he has become a part of the Venice football family and is excited for the upcoming season. Coach Weidlein is married to the former Amber Krug, who is a teacher at Venice High School. They have a son Troy and a daughter Alivia.
CLAY BURTON - HEAD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING/TIGHT ENDS
Born in Atlanta, Georgia but raised in Venice, Florida, Coach Burton is entering his 11th season on the Venice High School football staff. He is the Head of Strength and Conditioning as well as the Tight Ends coach. Coach Burton is a 2011 Venice High School graduate. During his time as a student at VHS, Burton was a team captain and recipient of the Jim Powell Team MVP Award. He also earned all-area and all-state honors.
After graduation, Coach Burton attended the University of Florida on a full athletic scholarship where he played Tight End and lettered all four years. Coach Burton graduated with a Major in Criminology and Minor in Educational Studies. Post-graduation, Coach Burton had a brief stint in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills.
Coach Burton is a Social Studies teacher on campus and enjoys positively influencing his students and athletes. Along with coaching football, he is also the Head Boys Weightlifting Coach. Coach Burton was named the 2019 Herald Tribune Boys Weightlifting Coach of the Year. Coach Burton has been fortunate enough to be a part of 4 State Championship teams during his tenure at VHS (2017 & 2021 Football and 2018 & 2019 Baseball).
He is married to Dali Burton, a former National Champion Gymnast that he was lucky enough to meet at the University of Florida. Clay and Dali have two daughters, Kayna and Nellie.
Coach is extremely proud and thankful to be a part of the Venice Football staff and is excited for the upcoming season.
BARAKA ATKINS- DEFENSIVE LINE
Baraka Atkins enters his second season as the Defensive Line coach for the Indians, bringing a strong record of developing young talent while blending elite athletic experience with classroom leadership. A former All-State standout at Booker High School, Atkins went on to become an All-ACC defensive lineman at the University of Miami. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft and enjoyed a professional career with the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Off the field, Coach Atkins is equally accomplished. After returning to his hometown of Sarasota, he transitioned into education, serving as a mathematics instructor and assistant football coach at both Sarasota High School and Booker High School. He later became head football coach at Booker High School, leading student-athletes both on the field and in the classroom from 2017 to 2022. He currently teaches Mathematics at Venice High School while continuing to bring high-level football insight to the defensive line.
Coach Atkins is known for his commitment to discipline, technique, and a growth mindset, and he brings that same intensity to developing both players and scholars.
JOSH HUNTER - OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
Coach Hunter will be entering his 6th year working with the Venice Offensive Line. He started his coaching career at Lakewood Ranch High School and was the first Head Coach at Braden River High School. Coach Hunter is a 1996 graduate of Southeast High School, playing on Back to Back State Championship Football Teams. Coach Hunter earned his degree from Eastern Kentucky University where he started as a true freshman, was all conference 3 years in a row and was named an All-American. He has also coached 8 weightlifters to state titles over the course of his career. Coach Hunter had been married to the love of his life Anne for over 20 years.
LUCIAS L. BONNER JR. - RUNNING BACKS
ROD TULLIS - RUNNING BACKS
Coach Tullis will embark on his eighth season as the Varsity Running Back Coach at Venice High School this year. With over a decade of experience in high school football, he has honed his coaching skills since 2016. Prior to his current role, Coach Tullis had the privilege of coaching at Sarasota High School at both the varsity and junior varsity levels.
Coach Tullis’s football journey began at Sarasota High School, where he played before deciding to pursue his college football dreams at Webber International University.
In his personal life, Coach Tullis is a devoted father to Devin Mae Tullis and a loving partner to Zoe Lamberg.
BRIAN HATLER - DEFENSIVE BACK COACH
Coach Hatler is entering his 5th year after returning to Venice High School in 2020. He was the Head Football Coach at North Port High School from 2015 through 2019. He was the Offensive Coordinator at Arvada West High School from 2002 - 2014. Arvada West made nine playoff appearances during that time including trips to the state semi-finals in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2009. His coaching experience in Florida includes stops at Port Charlotte High School, Hardee High School, and Venice High School including the Florida 5A State Title at Venice High School in 2000. His coaching career began in Colorado as a running back and defensive back coach at Littleton and Arapahoe High School.
As a player Coach Hatler was a four year starter as a free safety for Western State College in Colorado. He was recognized as an Academic All American, Pre Season All American, and All Conference player.
He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology in 1988 and added a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership in 2002. He teaches Physical Education at North Port High School. His daughter Tayla is a North Port High School graduate and is pursuing a degree in elementary education.
JAMES BOERKOEL - DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH
Born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. Coach Boerkoel was an All-State Diver in High School at Royal Oak Dondero He trained 3 summers with Ron O ‘Brian US Olympic Diving Coach 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Coach Boerkoel is an United State Air Force Veteran. He received a degree in Business Management, and was an employee of General Motors Engineering Management for 38 yeas. (Retired May of 2021).
Coaching - this will be the 41th year of coaching High School Football. He served roles as: Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Back, Linebackers and Special Teams Coordinator
Birmingham Brother RIce High School 1984 - 2011
4 - Michigan High School State Championships 1990, 2000, 2005, 2011
Birmingham Seaholm High School - 2012 - 2015
Auburn Hills Avondale High School - 2016 - 2018
Madison Heights Lamphere High School – 2019
Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes High School – 2020 - 2021
Venice High School, Venice Florida 2021 - Current
State Championship 2021, 2024
This will be Coach Boerkoel's 4th year as a full time Coach at Venice.
26 year old son Blair Boerkoel 4 Sport High School Athlete
Wrestling at Alma College
Rugby at Ferris State University
AMARRI JACKSON - WR COACH
Coach Jackson is from Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida. His passion for sports began in little league football with the Sarasota Ringling Redskins. He later attended Riverview High School, where he excelled as a three-sport athlete, earning all-state honors in basketball and football, and also lettering in track and field.
Jackson continued his athletic journey at Hillsborough Community College, where he played basketball for two years, before earning a football scholarship to the University of South Florida. There, he played three seasons of football.
Coach Jackson would go on to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted Free agent. He'd later play in the Arena Football League retiring in 2016.
Today, Amarri brings his wealth of experience and passion for the game into his coaching, mentoring the next generation of athletes, including his nephew, Ashari Charles, who is a member of the Venice High School football team.
DOM MARINO - QB COACH
Dominic Marino is entering his second season coaching quarterbacks at Venice High School. Marino quarterbacked the Indians in 2013/14 under John Peacock leadership to a second round playoff run before graduating and joining the Florida Atlantic University Owls as a preferred walk-on.
Dom's playing career brought him to five schools chasing a scholarship. FAU, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Coahoma Community College (Mississippi), East Central Community College (Mississippi), then graduating from Missouri Western State University where he led the Griffons to a division 2 "Texarkana Live United Bowl" championship win.
After graduation Dom worked in senior living administration for five years where he traveled the country as an "operations specialist" before running his own assisted living and memory care facility in Naples, Florida as the Administrator/ Executive Director. Currently he sells hurricane impact windows and operates his local waterway conservation non-profit "Oyster Boys Conservation, which recycles oyster shells from local restaurants then engages schools and senior homes to build 'vertical oyster gardens' which hang off docks and serve as housing structure for baby oysters to attach grow and filter waterway pollution.
Dom met his wife Rachel in the halls of Venice high school as she was a lead pitcher on the softball team and went on to play at Lynn University. They have been together ever since and both own a home in Osprey.
When asked what makes the Venice Football Program different he replies "Coach Peacock and staff keep things simple and straightforward. Fair and firm accountability alongside a 'being tough makes you tough' style work ethic is a formula that can be applied to any goal in any field at any time in your life. I'm grateful to have learned that in my time as an Indian which is why I'm a part of the staff now to pay it forward to current student athletes
CLINT CALHOUN - MOTIVATIONAL COACH/HYDRATION SPECIALIST
Clint has been apart of the Venice Football staff for over a decade. He is currently the Motivational Coach for the Indians, inspiring and motivating our Indians. During any given week you can find him getting the players motivated before every practice, giving pregame speeches every Thursday, and walking up and down the sidelines ever Friday night cheering on our Indians. Clint is what it truly means to be a Venice Indian and we are lucky to have him apart of our staff.