Freeport High School faces uncertainty as Head Coach Jimmy Jones, an alumnus and longtime assistant turned head coach, has been absent all summer with no official explanation, just days before the season opener.
The football season at Freeport High School (FHS) is supposed to kick off on Monday, August 18, 2025, but instead of excitement, there’s confusion and frustration.
Over the summer, word spread that Head Coach Jimmy Jones had not been able to take part in any team activities. However, so far, no official explanation has been given, and the silence has left players, parents, and alumni wondering what is going on.
The news of his absence has become public, and the uncertainty has people talking. Some are even asking if Jimmy Jones was fired or if something else has kept him from being with the team.
For the team, especially the incoming seniors, this has been a tough blow.
Many of them have worked hard all year for their final high school season special, and now they’re facing uncertainty just days before their first game. Some parents are even thinking about moving their kids from the district.
On top of that, the timing couldn’t be any worse. Besides the coaching issue, questions are rising about whether there will even be home games this year because of ongoing renovations at the school’s facilities.
Alumni have started speaking out, urging everyone connected to FHS to stand together and demand answers.
They want the school board and athletic department to be transparent about what’s happening. The next board meeting is set for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, and many plan to attend to get clarity.
Supporters are asking fellow alumni, parents, and community members to spread the word, tag people, like posts, and share updates.
For now, the clock is ticking toward opening day, but without Coach Jimmy Jones on the field and no official word from the school, the future of the season remains uncertain.
FHS Alumni Jimmy Jones Became Head Football Coach in 2024!
Jimmy Jones is a lifelong Freeport resident and an FHS graduate from the Class of 1995.
He played for the Red Devils in the early 90s under legendary coach Russ Cellan, who led the program for 38 years and won nine Nassau County titles and seven Long Island championships.
Jones joined the coaching staff in 2000 and spent 21 years working at all levels, including 17 years as Cellan’s assistant.
When Cellan retired, the district promoted Jones to head coach in March 2024.
For him, it was an honor and also a big challenge. He described it as “the most surreal and terrifying moment” of his life, knowing that every decision would now go through him.
He’s admitted to sleepless nights and early-morning ideas typed into his phone so he wouldn’t forget them.
Jones has said that while he respects the way Cellan ran the program, he also brings his own style.
As an assistant, he saw himself as a “big brother or uncle” to players, while Cellan was more of the strict father figure.
But as head coach, Jones knew he had to be firmer because, as he put it, “there is a large amount of stuff that now starts and ends with me.”
His players respect him for it. Senior lineman Curtis Ealy said, “It means everything. We need a coach who gets it to win games.” Senior safety Jayden Gordon added, “He’s for the players and takes our ideas in. He just builds us into better players for the world.”
