WATCH: Gerald Hodgin Won Five Prep Football State Title Rings During 50-Year Coaching Career in Brevard

By Tommy Cook // May 19, 2025

5 RINGS: key contributor with dynasty programs Merritt Island in 1970s and Cocoa in 2000s

ABOVE VIDEO: Gerald Hodgin Won Five Prep Football State Title Rings During 50-Year Coaching Career in Brevard County.

The 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremony is set for Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced that the 2025 induction ceremony will occur on Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. This will be the first in-person induction since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460. CLICK HERE to see the 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Class.

2025 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME COACHING INDUCTEE

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – During his 50 years coaching high school football in Brevard County, Coach Gerald Hodgin earned five state championship rings as a key contributor on five state championship teams with dynasty programs Merritt Island during the 1970s and Cocoa in the 2000s.

Hodgin was born in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1942. He graduated from Butler High School in Huntsville, Alabama, where he played linebacker and guard on the football team and was on the track and field team.

Hodgin then attended Middle Tennessee State on a football scholarship. During his freshman year, he suffered a serious knee injury that ended his playing career.

He then attended Florence State, now the University of North Alabama, where he graduated in 1963.

Gerald Hodgin was born in Meridian, Mississippi, in 1942. He graduated from Butler High School in Huntsville, Alabama, where he played linebacker and guard on the football team and was on the track and field team.

Hodgin began teaching and coaching football, basketball, track and golf at Cullman High School in Alabama in 1964.

After a year at Cullman, Hodgin and his wife, Elke, moved on to Boaz High School for three years and then to New Hope High School for another three years.

The world’s attention was riveted on Brevard County when the Hodgin family first arrived in 1969 to check out a job opening for a football coaching and teaching job at Merritt Island High School.

During his 50 years coaching high school football in Brevard County, Coach Gerald Hodgin earned five state championship rings as a key contributor on five state championship teams with dynasty programs Merritt Island during the 1970s and Cocoa in the 2000s.

“When we got to Merritt Island for the first time to meet coach (Eddie) Feeley, we didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel and parked by the Indian River for the night,” said Elke.

“During the night, Gerald decided to fish off the bank and caught a huge bass and said, ‘Honey, I think we’re home!’”

Story continued below>>>

The 1972 state champion Merritt Island Mustangs, which is considered to be the greatest prep football team of all time on the Space Coast, went 13-0 en route to a state championship.

TRIO-375 — From left, Leon Bight, Coach Gerald Hodgin and Peter Kerasotis share stories and memories of the 1972 Merritt island High School state championship football team. (Image by Roger Scruggs)

STRONG BOND

During Hodgin’s first year at Merritt Island in 1969, he was the JV football coach, and in 1970, became the offensive line coach for Feeley’s powerhouse varsity squad.

The rest, as they say, is history as the Mustangs racked-up state championships in 1972, 1978 and 1979 – with Hodgin leading the defense as the coordinator.

Hodgin said among the highlights for him was spending Sundays with fellow coaches Eddie Feeley, Gerald Odom, Lee Mace, Dwight Thomas, Travis Akin, Joe Pribil, and Jim Casper going over game plans—along with all the special life-long bonds he has made with his adoring players.

1972 MUSTANG COACHES, left to right: Defensive back coach Lee Mace, defensive coordinator Gerald Odom, special teams coach Dwight Thomas and offensive line coach Gerald Hodgin.

“I first met Coach Hodgin during my sophomore year at Merritt Island,” said Jimmy Black, quarterback of the 1972 state champion Mustangs and Florida State standout.

“He was the head coach of the JV team, and one of the first things you learned about the coach was that when he told you to do something, you had better do it now! Discipline was very important to him, and he passed this along to his players. The bond the players had with all our coaches still is strong to this day, almost 50 years later. I would like to thank Coach Hodgin for the valuable life lessons he taught me in high school, and I am proud to call him my friend.”

When Gerald Odom became the head coach at Cocoa High School in 2000, Hodgin joined his staff as the defensive coordinator and stayed on when John Wilkinson took over in 2004. In the process, he picked up two more state title rings.

During his career, Hodgin also coached the Mustang baseball team for 12 seasons, recording 263 victories, five conference titles, four district championships, three regional titles, one sectional crown, and a state appearance.

“Hodge put his life and soul into whatever he coached,” said former Merritt Island High School principal Hank Smith.

When Gerald Odom became the head coach at Cocoa High School in 2000, Gerald Hodgin joined his staff as the defensive coordinator. He stayed on when John Wilkinson took over in 2004 and picked up two more state title rings in the process.

Odom-400-1 — GERALD ODGIN, top row left, with his fellow coaching staff in 1979. Coaches included Travis Alin, Jim Casper, head coach Gerald Odom, Joe Pribil, and Lee Mace. (Images For Space Coast Daily)

THE 2025 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will occur at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne on Saturday, May 24. FOR INFORMATION about the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame, or to make a reservation, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-615-8111.

CLICK HERE TO SEE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced that the 2025 induction ceremony will occur on Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460.

The 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremony is sponsored by Health First and presented by Tom and Suzie Wasdin

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA—The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame selection committee announced that the 2025 induction ceremony will occur on Saturday, May 24, at Eastern Florida State College in Melbourne. This will be the first in-person induction since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner and ceremony, sponsored by Health First and presented by Tom and Suzie Wasdin, will be held on the evening of May 24. The Meet-and-Greet will begin at 6 p.m., and dinner and the program will start at 7 p.m.

Tom and Suzie Wasdin are longtime Brevard County entrepreneurs, community supporters, and philanthropists. Tom, an NCAA Final Four basketball coach and Brevard Sports Ambassador, was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

The meet-and-greet will include an opportunity to talk with the area’s sports royalty. Dinner and the induction proceeding, which will include compelling video tributes to each inductee, will follow.

The Brevard County High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards will be held Saturday, May 24, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., also at Eastern Florida State College.

During the Breakfast of Champions, more than 40 awards will be presented to the best of the 2024-2025 male and female high school student-athletes in each sport. For sponsorship information, call 321-323-4460 or e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com.

Both the Breakfast of Champions and the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame events will be streamed live on Space Coast Daily TV.

Health First, Erdman Automotive, Eastern Florida State College, All Points, Clear Choice Health Care, Brevard Public Schools, Space Coast Office of Tourism, EDC of the Space Coast, 4Ever Young Merritt Island, and Savings Safari sponsor the 2025 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction event and the Brevard County High School Breakfast of Champions recognition awards.

To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460.

INDUCTEES SELECTED IN FOUR CATEGORIES

Nominees are chosen in four categories: professional sports, college sports, high school sports, and amateur sports. Special honorary recognition is also bestowed upon individuals and groups that have made significant contributions to sports on the Space Coast.

SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2025

■ PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Jamel Dean, Football; Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Wrestling; Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Football; Randy Pobst, Auto racing; Juwaan Taylor, Football

■ COLLEGE CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Paulette King, Basketball, Dylan Lewis, Soccer; Steve Freeman, Soccer; Bryan Cook, Baseball

■ PREP CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Lexy Denaburg, Volleyball; Andi Sellers, Soccer; Kaira Simmons, Track & Field; Jayvan Boggs, Football

■ AMATEUR/RECREATION CATEGORY INDUCTEE: Alli Penovich, Free Diving; Peter Blount, Track & Field; Caylor Williams, Wrestling

■ COACHING CATEGORY INDUCTEES: Doug Butler, Cross Country and Track; Gerald Hodgin, Football; Jim Oler, Basketball; Don Smith, Basketball

• SPORTS OFFICIAL INDUCTEES: Ted Ruta

• SPORTS JOURNALISM INDUCTEES: Steve Vaughn

• SPORTS DEVELOPMENT INDUCTEE: Loren McClanahan

■ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEES: Larry Garrison, Clint Hurdle

■ SPORTS AMBASSADOR AWARD INDUCTEE: Rusty Buchanan

■ CHALLENGER AWARD INDUCTEE: Joshua Dillon

■ TEAM OF THE YEAR: Cocoa Tigers Football

■ LEGACY CHAMPIONS: Merritt Island Baseball, 1999-2000

■ COMMUNITY SPORTS ADVANCEMENT: Justin Lauer and Dr. Bill Quinter

■ SPECIAL TRIBUTE: Tim Wakefield

Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and has inducted over 200 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches, and sports personalities. Eastern Florida State’s Titan Fieldhouse on the Melbourne Campus hosts the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. Portraits of the Hall of Famers are displayed on the wall in the building’s main hallway, which runs parallel to the gym and outside the athletic department offices.

To make a reservation for the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, e-mail Contact@SpaceCoastDaily.com or call 321-323-4460.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MEMBERS OF THE SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME

SPACE COAST DAILY TV: Tim Wakefield talks about his induction into the first class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame. Space Coast Daily created the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2011 and has so far inducted more than 200 of Brevard County’s most outstanding athletes, coaches, and sports personalities.