Fredrick Taylor alleges that Wildwood’s Principal, John Rocker, called Coach Lorenzo Fields in and forced him to resign.
The Wildwood High School football team flourished under Coach Fields, and they were just one game away from making it to a state championship game.
Lorenzo Fields was honored with the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame.
He played high school football as a quarterback at Wildwood & Hernando High Schools. His football career began at Wildwood, where he led his team to back-to-back state championship games.
Later, he played college football at Eastern Kentucky & Kentucky State Universities.
Fields served as an assistant principal at Hernando High School for 11 years.
Mr. Rocker brought back Coach Fields to his alma mater to begin his coaching career. He was offered an exciting opportunity to give back and lead the program.
However, Mr. Rocker enforced that he leave within one year. He is now coaching three sports in Hernando.
It has been a while since I have coached and put an offense together. I want to see what these players can and can’t do, then build around that.
Lorenzo Fields
Wildwood Community Alleges Coach Lorenzo Fields Was Forced Out
Fredrick Taylor’s Facebook post has sparked controversy in Wildwood.
He alleges that high school football coach Lorenzo Fields was forced to resign by Principal Mr. Rocker just weeks before the start of the new season.
According to Taylor, Coach Fields led the team to a near-state-championship game in his first year. However, the following spring saw the arrival of new coaches who allegedly did not help and later quit.
Despite these challenges, he states that the team persevered with a successful spring game and vigorous summer workouts that involved 20-25 varsity players.
Similarly, Taylor addressed rumors of unfair treatment of student-athletes, clarifying that parents and grandparents made the allegations against specific coaches.
He claims these accusations were investigated internally by the school and found to be untrue, but the results were never shared with the accused coaches.
Taylor calls the process a dictatorship led solely by Principal Rocker.
Coach Fields did not resign voluntarily due to health reasons, as has been suggested, but was instead forced out.
Taylor points to the fact that Fields is now coaching three sports in Hernando as proof of his good health. His departure after one season as head coach has left many in the community questioning the school’s leadership.
Fredrick Taylor Shared Some Truth About Wildwood Via Facebook
Fredrick Taylor has brought a wave of concern from Wildwood High School to light, questioning a sudden and dramatic change in the high school football program’s leadership.
Principal Mr. Rocker replaced Head Coach Fields and his entire staff just weeks before the new season began.
Mr. Rocker’s decision removed a coaching team with over 50 years of combined experience. It included the highly respected Coach Marvin Coleman, a key figure in the City of Wildwood, who has his own day, December 13th.
In a surprising move, the coaches rehired were the same ones who had previously quit the program.
According to the post, the situation was unsettling. Coach Fields received calls warning him that the former coaches were planning to take his job before he met with the Principal.
Players also received calls from these coaches stating they were coming back to take over.
The new replacement staff brings less than 10 years of combined coaching experience.
Taylor’s post clarifies that Coach Fields’ staff did not leave in disgrace. The team had enough players to compete and was performing at a high level.
Furthermore, Principal Rocker reportedly blocked certain county-cleared volunteers from helping, a move that seemed personal rather than professional.
The aftermath has been devastating for the program. While some players left earlier for more exposure at other schools, a second wave quit in solidarity after Coach Fields was forced to resign.
Younger, less physically developed players are now being pushed into varsity roles for which they are not ready, raising serious safety concerns.
Furthermore, the community asked:
Why wasn’t Coach Fields and his proven staff allowed to finish what they started? Why was a leader who brought us within one play of a state title cast aside after just one year, while the very coaches who quit are now in charge?
Fredrick Taylor
Taylor’s concerns weren’t just about wins and losses, but also about the safety of the kids and the future of the program.
The community is now calling for a change in how these decisions are made, advocating for a committee-based process to ensure fairness and protect their students.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Coach Lorenzo Fields is a proud father of three children, Israel, Isaac, and Letrice.
- His daughter, Letrice, is a graduate of BCU.
