MONTICELLO, FL — In a sport dominated by men, one Jefferson County woman is breaking barriers and building character both on and off the field.
- Pastor Kiauna Izliah-Nealy becomes Jefferson County's first female head middle school football coach.
- She accepted the role to lead the team after the previous coach left, encouraged by her twin sons.
- Watch the video below to hear what players and parents are saying about their new coach.
Kiauna Izliah-Nealy makes history as Jefferson County's first female middle school football coach
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Jefferson County, one woman is turning heads and changing hearts on the football field.
When the Jefferson County Middle School football team lost its coach, Pastor Kiauna Izliah-Nealy never imagined she’d be the one to fill the spot.
A teacher and mother of twin eighth graders, she said yes when her sons asked her to lead the team.
Now she’s the first female head coach in the district, balancing her role as an educator, pastor, and mother while guiding a group of boys and one girl who have found new confidence under her leadership.
“I approach football as a lesson to teach. When we go over a play, I turn it into a lesson even though I know it’s a game of strategy. They’re not too young to learn strategy,” Coach Kiauna Izliah-Nealy said.
In just a few months, Izliah-Nealy has helped the Tigers earn three wins, two losses, and one draw.
But players say the victories go beyond the scoreboard.
Her influence reaches every player on the team, including the Tigers’ only female athlete, Azhla Washington.
“It helps me benefit my future. She is a good coach as well, and she helped me, like, boost my energy and boost my vibes,” Washington said.
For parents watching from the sidelines, her leadership has brought something new to Jefferson football.
“A lot of these kids, the majority of us come from broken homes and, like, she’s given them something to look forward to. Or she’s filling in that gap that they don’t necessarily get at home,” parent Chandra Tucker said.
The opportunity to fill that gap almost didn’t happen. Izliah-Nealy says she was once injured by a student in another district. She vowed never to return to the classroom. But she says she was led back by faith and purpose.
“We see it often on the news, but a student attacking a teacher is so few and far between. That’s not something that I should’ve let make me say, ‘I’m not gonna teach anymore,’” Izliah-Nealy said.
Off the field, Coach Izliah-Nealy teaches intensive reading and pastors Grace and Mercy Kingdom Church in Quincy.
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