When chasing down interviews for this story, finding those Central Florida high school football coaches who have chosen to remain with their status quo instead of running to Georgia or Alabama or other states for higher-paying jobs, longtime Timber Creek coach Jimmy Buckridge put it succinctly:

“Ha-ha, the old people is what you are trying to say,” Buckridge said.

He’s right. And Buckridge is the grandfather of them all. He has been the only coach Timber Creek has had since the school opened in 2001.

In a day and age in which Florida coaches continue to discuss low pay and limited resources — not just football — many have taken jobs in other states.

Travis Roland won a state title at Daytona Beach Mainland last season and used that success to gain a high-paying job at Camden County in Georgia.

Sanford Seminole coach Don Stark left for North Paulding High in Georgia after developing a ‘Noles program that won a state title in 2020, a year after he departed.

But there are others who remain comfortable in their surroundings.

Buckridge, 59, enters his 24th season in east Orlando.

“We have great kids here and the administration is very supportive,” Buckridge said. “I have a great staff, and Marc [Jackson] is still with me and my son [Connor] coaches with me now. I have four coaches here now who played or me.

“I don’t know if I would be this happy other places, but it’s a good situation here. It’s the people who are around you that make a big difference.”

Other veteran coaches also mentioned what Buckridge said he enjoys: Quality of life.

These coaches have settled into their communities, bonded with the administration, fellow teachers and students and grounded their families in the places they call home.

Lake Mary coach Scott Perry, 50, played for the Rams. The former University of Florida offensive lineman returned to the program as a coach in 2001. He became head coach in 2004.

“It’s one of those be-true-to-your-school type of things. I grew up here, went to Lake Mary High School games as a little kid,” Perry said. “It’s home. I can’t see myself doing all of the stuff I do and putting my family through at some place that is not near and dear to my heart.”

Some older coaches have negotiated pay checks that have allowed them to earn a respectable living. For most of them, pulling up stakes could be a distressing move for their families.

“I love where I’m at, and as far as the pay thing goes it is what it is. I love what I do and I feel like there are plenty of people in the state of Florida who will do what I do for next to nothing,” Perry said.

Success helps in a coach’s longevity. Perry wins at Lake Mary, where he is 135-78. He said he doesn’t think that necessarily means a great deal to the administration, but it certainly keeps players, parents and the community happy.

“We end up, as coaches in this area, doing a lot of things on our own without the pay. But we also do not have the prodding from administration about having a great football team,” he said. “They don’t say. ‘We expect this and we expect that. As coaches, we expect it of ourselves.”

Rick Darlington, who is in his third season at DeLand, will tell you it is not always greener in other pastures. He tested the waters in high-paying coaching stints in Georgia and Alabama, returning each time to his Florida roots.

He was fired after three winning seasons in Valdosta, Ga., and returned to Apopka in 2006. He recently returned to Florida to coach at DeLand after three solid years at Enterprise, Ala., which is now building a $14.8 million indoor facility where its football team and other sports can practice.

Darlington, 59, who played for Lakeland High and went to Stetson University in DeLand, had two previous stints during 17 seasons at Apopka where he won three state titles before leaving. He’s happy to be back home in Florida.

In 27 years as a head coach, Darlington, is 251-95. He guided DeLand into the state semifinals last year, just his second season at the school.

“The toughest thing about [coaching in Georgia and Alabama] is to win,” he said. “Since they pay coaches considerably more in those places, they are attracting really good coaches, and so everybody you are playing against probably has multiple district, region and state titles on their resumés.

“Football is really important in those states, from the pay, to the facilities, to the way the towns treat it, the way the school systems treat it. It’s just a different culture of high school football in those states. In Florida, there are only small pockets where it’s like that, but overall football is definitely not near as important to the school systems.”

Zack Darlington, one of seven children for Darlington and his wife, Shelly, serves as DeLand’s offensive coordinator.

“Being around my children and grandchildren, along with the opportunity to build something at DeLand, that’s why I came back,” Darlington said. “If DeLand had not been open, then I’d still be in Alabama. I didn’t come back just because I missed Florida football.”

Another elder statesman in the coaching fraternity is Bishop Moore’s Matt Hedrick, who has been at the helm of the Hornets for 22 years. He won a state title in 2015.

Hedrick’s sons played for Bishop Moore and he has solidified himself in the community. He met his wife, Jennifer, at what was Green Garden Nursery in College Park, where she worked with her parents, the owners.

“When I got the opportunity to coach here at Bishop Moore when I got out of college, even though I did not intend to stay very long, it just kind of suited me,” said Hedrick, who played at Furman in South Carolina, where son Luke is a senior. “Since then I feel like I’ve been called to be here at this school. It’s a Catholic school which was important to me. I was raised Catholic.”

Hedrick’s assistants have been with him a long time. Tom Wasman, director of player development, joined the staff in 2002. Tim Murphy has been on board since 2005 and defensive coordinator Billy Hubbard has been with Hedrick since ’12. Ryan Fleming and Micah Davis also are longtime assistants.

Hedrick has gone 177-77 in 21 seasons and the Hornets are favored to be a state contender once again in Class 3A.

“You can’t put a price on the lifestyle, the value of that. It’s been great for my family and my kids, and having the opportunity to coach my own kids has been incredible,” Hedrick said. “I really don’t feel like I have ever had a job. I love to be able to say that. I don’t wake up in the morning, ever, and say ‘Oh, gosh, I have to go to work today.'”Gateway coach Marlin Roberts, 47, feels the same way.

He has been at the Kissimmee school for 25 years, 17 as head coach.

“I’ve had opportunities to leave, but I didn’t pull the trigger. I just stuck it out here,” Roberts said. “I think it’s mostly because it’s like family here to me, so I just hang in there and keep doing what I do. I’m starting to get kids here whose parents I coached.”

Roberts reiterated that his administration has been supportive from the beginning.

“There could have been a few times where they could have chopped my head off because of some of the [losing] seasons we’ve had,” he said. “I’ve been blessed.”

Another mainstay is Andy Johnson, 49, who has been at Boone for 12 seasons and was head coach at Freedom for seven seasons.

The North Dakota native coached in South Dakota for Josh Heupel’s father, Ken Heupel, in 2003, before running off to Florida 20 years ago.

“I like it here. I got married and had kids and we raised a family and now my kids are entrenched. My wife [Giovanna] is comfortable here,” said Johnson, whose son, Sam, is the junior starting quarterback. A daughter, Sophia, is a freshman volleyball player for the Braves.

“I liked Freedom a lot when I was there and I like Boone a lot now. I figured that was a good enough reason as any to stay. I’m not hung up on the money,” Johnson said.

With the money offered in Georgia and Alabama comes the pressure to win big.

“I know a lot of guys who go to Georgia to chase the money, which is fine and I get it. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” Johnson said. “That comes with its own set of problems, so it really depends on your motivation.”

Tim Shifflet has been at Winter Park for 18 seasons and he said he’s not planning on going anywhere.

Leroy Kinard takes over Innovation, a new school, but he also served as coach for The First Academy for 16 seasons.

Rodney Wells played at Dr. Phillips before the linebacker played for Syracuse in 1997. He returned to his alma mater to coach and teach in 2002 and became head coach in ’11.

He guided the Panthers to a ’17 state title.

“We do everything we can to have a successful team,” Perry said. “But I’m also glad that I don’t have that pressure of if I don’t win, I now have to move my family and find a new job somewhere.”

Chris Hays can be found on X @OS_ChrisHays. He can be reached via email at chays@orlandosentinel.com.