His growing company put Ronnie Douglas into position on choosing a priority between Tate High football coach or being hands-on at the Ronny's Car Wash locations.
It led him to a difficult decision to leave coaching. Douglas, a 1983 Tate High graduate, who turned the Aggies from rock bottom into back-to-back playoff appearances, resigned Thursday to devote his full time energy into his other passion.
"It was one of those things that really weigh on you," Douglas said. "And in the end, it's not fair to Tate. Coaching is 110 percent, if you are going to have any success at it. You really have to put forth the effort.
"We just have gotten real busy. And this time of year, it is not as bad. But when we start spring football practice, then basically we don't stop until December. It was a pretty big deal.
"We are working 70-80 hours a week as coaches during the season. I am not able to get by my (car wash locations) And that is just not fair to my partner and not fair to anybody."
There are currently three Ronny's Car Wash locations in the Pensacola area; one in Milton, one on Davis Highway, another on Michigan Ave. A fourth will soon open on Woodbine Road in Pace. Another is eventually planned for Navarre. Douglas and his business partner Ron Scott have made their car wash concept a success.
PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
Tate, West Florida, Navarre reflect on season's end
"When I got into this, we had two of them (Milton, Davis Highway). We actually had those sold. There was a company that was going to buy us out. And we actually decided not to sell."
In his two seasons Tate, Douglas led the Aggies into district contention. In his first season, the Aggies went 8-3 and lost in the first round of the state playoffs. Last season, the Aggies went 9-3 and lost to Niceville in the Region 1-7A semifinals.
Prior to Douglas' arrival in 2013, the Aggies had won only a combined four games in the three previous seasons.
PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
Tate faces Niceville in 1-7A semifinal
"Tate is my home school. I always wanted to give that thing a shot.... to get it turned around, because they had been struggling," said Douglas, who worked under former coach Ed Rigby as well as being assistant on Pace coach Mickey Lindsey's staff. "There was an opportunity to do that. Mr. Shackle gave me the opportunity to do that. And fortunately we were able to get it going in the right direction.
"We have some great young men coming back next year. So the guy who takes it over, they should have continued success. That's what you want. In anything I have ever done, I have always wanted to leave it better than I found it. And I want to look back 10 years from now and see that it is still running and still being very successful."
It led him to a difficult decision to leave coaching. Douglas, a 1983 Tate High graduate, who turned the Aggies from rock bottom into back-to-back playoff appearances, resigned Thursday to devote his full time energy into his other passion.
"It was one of those things that really weigh on you," Douglas said. "And in the end, it's not fair to Tate. Coaching is 110 percent, if you are going to have any success at it. You really have to put forth the effort.
"We just have gotten real busy. And this time of year, it is not as bad. But when we start spring football practice, then basically we don't stop until December. It was a pretty big deal.
"We are working 70-80 hours a week as coaches during the season. I am not able to get by my (car wash locations) And that is just not fair to my partner and not fair to anybody."
There are currently three Ronny's Car Wash locations in the Pensacola area; one in Milton, one on Davis Highway, another on Michigan Ave. A fourth will soon open on Woodbine Road in Pace. Another is eventually planned for Navarre. Douglas and his business partner Ron Scott have made their car wash concept a success.
PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
Tate, West Florida, Navarre reflect on season's end
"When I got into this, we had two of them (Milton, Davis Highway). We actually had those sold. There was a company that was going to buy us out. And we actually decided not to sell."
In his two seasons Tate, Douglas led the Aggies into district contention. In his first season, the Aggies went 8-3 and lost in the first round of the state playoffs. Last season, the Aggies went 9-3 and lost to Niceville in the Region 1-7A semifinals.
Prior to Douglas' arrival in 2013, the Aggies had won only a combined four games in the three previous seasons.
PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL
Tate faces Niceville in 1-7A semifinal
"Tate is my home school. I always wanted to give that thing a shot.... to get it turned around, because they had been struggling," said Douglas, who worked under former coach Ed Rigby as well as being assistant on Pace coach Mickey Lindsey's staff. "There was an opportunity to do that. Mr. Shackle gave me the opportunity to do that. And fortunately we were able to get it going in the right direction.
"We have some great young men coming back next year. So the guy who takes it over, they should have continued success. That's what you want. In anything I have ever done, I have always wanted to leave it better than I found it. And I want to look back 10 years from now and see that it is still running and still being very successful."