Tocoi Creek High School is excited to announce the hiring of Lee McCool as Head Softball Coach for the newest high school in St. Johns County Florida.
Lee McCool has been a St. John’s County resident for the past 8 years with his wife of 17 years Jessica and his two children, Tatum 15, and Nolan 12. After graduating from Palatka HS in 1997, he received a scholarship to play baseball at the University of North Florida where he earned All-American honors in 2000 as well as being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 7th round of the 2000 MLB draft.
After baseball, Coach McCool returned to Putnam County and followed a family tradition of coaching. He began as an assistant coach for the Panthers and has been around the game of softball since 2004. That has led to a 17 year coaching career, four of those as the head baseball coach in between St. Augustine HS (2011-12), Palatka HS (2013), and St. Joseph Academy (2016), with the rest as a softball or baseball assistant. His coaching stops have included multiple successful teams, these teams have made 12 FHSAA playoff appearances, won 7 FHSAA District Championships, 2 FHSAA Regional Championships and with 2 ending in the final four. Currently he is an assistant coach for the Nease Panther softball team and is also a current coach for Pro Impact’s nationally ranked 16u travel softball team since 2017. These experiences of a high level of success has shaped his coaching philosophy of “building a confident player that can go and perform at a high level in the most pressure packed situations. “
Throughout the interview process, Coach McCool expressed a confident commitment to developing a highly successful softball program based on instilling a solid work ethic, mental toughness and player confidence that will prepare his players for any level of competition. Coach McCool takes pride in doing whatever it takes to help student/athletes achieve their dreams on and off the field. He knows what it takes to win the right way and will push athletes to a level they did not think was possible. His background of successful coaching and developing well-rounded student athletes who are committed to excellence aligns with the vision for Tocoi Creek HS.
TCHS Principal, Jay Willets stated, “Coach McCool’s confident leadership style has been developed through a highly successful playing and coaching career, he has a unique ability to empower his players to perform at a high level when the spot light is on.”
Coach McCool is extremely excited about the opportunity to build a community full of new traditions and experiences that will take all Tocoi Creek students to the next level both academically and athletically. His goal is to be a positive force that helps turn TCHS into a place the community is proud of.