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Andre Camp is Fort Meade’s interim football coach, Fort Meade Middle-Senior High School principal Seth Lambert confirmed on Thursday, Aug. 27, replacing Maurice Russell.
Russell, who was about to start his third year as head coach, was fired prior to the start of the regular season. Lambert declined to comment on the coaching change, referring the matter to the Polk County schools communication office.
More: Here's why Fort Meade's Jemalle Cornelius stepped down as football coach after 15 seasons
The communications office released a statement from Lambert to parents:
“Good afternoon, Fort Meade Families.
"This is Seth Lambert, principal of Fort Meade Middle-Senior High. I hope everyone is having a great start to the 2026–27 school year. I want to share an important update regarding our Miner Football Program.
"Effective immediately, I have made the difficult decision to move in a different direction with our head coach. As principal, I take coaching responsibilities very seriously. The Florida High School Athletic Association provides clear policies and expectations that all schools must follow to ensure each athletic program operates within established guidelines. After reviewing ongoing concerns related to consistent adherence to these expectations, it became necessary to make a change.
"While the timing is not ideal, our school leadership team has a strong plan in place to ensure continuity for our football program. Our focus remains on supporting our players, maintaining stability, and giving them every opportunity to succeed on the field this season.”
A meeting was held last week to address any concerns parents had.
Camp, who is a pastor and is the head of Andre Camp Ministries International, has been an assistant coach under Russell and former coach Jemalle Cornelius.
Russell could not be reached for comment. He had replaced Cornelius in 2024. Cornelius resigned in January of 2024 after 15 seasons as head coach and is now an assistant principal at the school.
In two seasons as head coach, Russell led Fort Meade to a 13-11 record. The Miners went 6-7 in ’24, winning the inaugural FIT Rural championship when they defeated Dixie County, 31-13. The Miners improved to 7-4 last season, losing in the first round of the playoffs.
Fort Meade opened the 2026 season with a 32-0 loss to Hardee and plays at Lake Region on Friday.
Camp will finish out the season as interim coach, Lambert said, then the school will post the position.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Andre Camp named interim football head coach at Fort Meade
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