Barron Collier High School football head coach resigns following arrest on DUI charges

Brannon Tidwell, who was the head coach of the Barron Collier High School football team, resigned on Sunday following an arrest on DUI charges. Arrest on DUI charges According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office arrest report, deputies responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle at around 3:28 a.m. on August 1. The vehicle was parked at a noticeable angle at a gas pump at the RaceTrac on Airport Pulling Road North. Deputies approached the vehicle and saw a man asleep behind the wheel. The man had puke on his face, shirt, and shorts, as well as on the floorboard of the vehicle, the arrest report said. Deputies knocked on the window, which woke the man up. The man, identified as Tidwell, smelled strongly of alcohol and had glassy, bloodshot eyes, according to the arrest report. Tidwell was questioned by deputies and continued to tell them that he "lived right down the street," according to the report. Deputies then asked Tidwell if he would participate in standard field sobriety exercises, to which he replied, "no." Deputies then asked again, telling Tidwell that if he refused, he would be placed under arrest for DUI. Tidwell replied, "I live right down the street," the report said. Tidwell was placed under arrest and refused to give a breath sample, the report said. He faces charges of DUI and refusal to submit to DUI testing. Resignation On Sunday, Barron Collier High School's Principal Sean Kinsley, who holds a Doctorate in School Leadership, issued a statement directly to football families. It read as follows: "Dear Barron Collier Football Student-Athletes, Families, and Supporters: I am writing to provide an update regarding our football program. Earlier today, Coach Brannon Tidwell submitted his resignation as head football coach. We appreciate Coach Tidwell's service to Barron Collier High School and wish him well moving forward. Effective immediately, Andrew Clawson will serve as Interim Head Football Coach. Coach Clawson has been a valued member of our football program for many years, serving as head freshman coach and as a member of the varsity coaching staff. He is well known to our student-athletes and families and has played an important role in the development of our program. Our focus remains on supporting our student-athletes and ensuring the football program continues to operate in a positive, stable, and student-centered manner. All scheduled practices, conditioning sessions, and team activities will continue as planned as we prepare for the upcoming season. I recognize that this has been a challenging period for our football community. Through it all, our student-athletes have continued to demonstrate resilience, commitment, and pride in representing Barron Collier High School. They deserve our full support as we move forward together. Thank you for your continued dedication to our students, our football program, and our school." The change in leadership comes just a week before the new school year is set to begin. Tidwell coached the Cougars for the 2025 season, finishing with a 4-6 record. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.