Jeremy Blunt Steps Down After Storied Run at Phoebus
After a storied 14-season run at his alma mater that saw the Phoebus Phantoms capture four consecutive Virginia High School League State Football Championships from 2021-24, Jeremy Blunt has decided to step down as the Head Football Coach of his alma mater to pursue other professional opportunities.
A 2002 graduate of Phoebus, Blunt posted a record of 153-23 overall with seven regional crowns to go with his four state titles, two of which came at the Class 4 level and two as a Class 3 member.
It all happened at a storied program where he played for the late great Bill Dee, a Hall of Fame Coach that guided Phoebus to its first four state titles (2001, 2002, 2006, 2008) before Stan Sexton led them to three more Championships from 2009-11.
Blunt took over for Sexton during the 2012 campaign, and though the lofty level of success that the Phantoms became accustomed to eluded him during the beginning of his tenure, that would eventually change. Phoebus won regional titles in 2015, 2016 and 2018. Excluding the COVID-shortened campaign in the spring of 2021, Blunt’s Phantoms would win at least 11 games in nine consecutive seasons. No other team in Hampton Roads achieved that during the stretch from 2015-24.
The Phantoms also tested themselves outside the Peninsula District during Blunt’s tenure. They went from losing a hard-fought 24-20 opener to DeMatha (MD) in the 2013 season opener, to avenging a 42-0 loss to Oscar Smith in the 2021 regular season finale by beating the Tigers in consecutive years. One of those statement wins was a 56-0 thumping of Oscar Smith in 2022, marking the largest margin of victory for any team over the Virginia powerhouse in 20 years.
Additionally, the Phantoms took on Richmond heavyweight Highland Springs in consecutive years, beating the Springers 23-7 in 2024 on a night where they held the Springers to just four yards rushing. It was just the second time in 96 contests that the Springers were held to single-digit points.
After graduating 31 seniors from their 2024 state title winning team that included 20 starters, his Phantoms finished with a record of 8-4 overall in 2025. They advanced to the Region 4A Finals after defeating archrival Hampton 47-35 in the semifinals before falling to Lafayette 23-17. The victory over top-seeded Hampton, which had won the regular season encounter by a 43-7 running clock margin, was one of the more eyebrow raising results of the playoffs.
Blunt guided Phoebus on a remarkable 51-game winning streak, which was halted in a 34-20 regular season loss to Warwick last September. It ended up a victory shy of the VHSL record for consecutive wins of 52, shared by both Phoebus and Riverheads.
Simply put, his run of excellence, producing winning teams while molding student-athletes for the next level as well as off the field, cements Blunt as one of the most successful in VHSL history on the gridiron.
Blunt shared his resignation on social media with the Phoebus community on Friday.
Jeremy Blunt’s Resignation Letter:
Dear Phantom family,
After a great deal of reflection and prayer, I submit my resignation as Head Football Coach of Phoebus High School, effective immediately. This decision has been one of the hardest of my career, and one that I have struggled to make not because of football, but because of what this place — and these young men — have meant to me and my family.
Phoebus is home. This program is woven into who I am. I have poured my heart into building on the tradition that was entrusted to me, and every day I’ve been blessed to stand on that sideline, I have felt the weight and honor of representing a community that is second to none. Winning championships has been special, but what has stayed with me — and what will stay with me forever — are the moments no trophy can capture: the early-morning practices, the conversations after tough days, the breakthroughs, the hugs, the tears, the laughter, and the belief we built together.
Coaching your children has changed my life. It has grown me as a man, as a leader, and as a father. My family has celebrated these young men as if they were our own, and they’ve felt the love and support of this community in return. Phoebus didn’t just make me a better coach — it made me a better person.
To my players: you have given me purpose. You are stronger, smarter, funnier, and more resilient than you realize. You’ve shown me daily what commitment looks like, what sacrifice looks like, and what pride looks like. You carried yourself with a standard that represents not only this school but an entire city. I hope you felt — in every coaching moment — how deeply I believed in you. You have lived our motto “Big Team, little me” and I couldn’t be prouder of you both as players and as unique individuals. I hope you carry these lessons into your adult lives and reflect on them as life throws different challenges your way. You have greatness in you! I will always be here for you, that isn’t ever going to change.
To my coaching staff and support team: you are my brothers. We didn’t just chase excellence — we lived it. The long nights, the scouting, the battles won and lost… I will miss that bond more than I can say. All of our success would not be, if I didn’t have you working there with me side by side. Thank you for always having my back.
To the parents and guardians: thank you for trusting me with your sons. Thank you for your honesty, your patience, and your partnership. Your support shaped this program just as much as anything we did on the field.
To this community: thank you for embracing me, challenging me, and standing with me. Every time I looked up in the stands, I was reminded why Phoebus is different — why the blue and gold means more than colors on a jersey.
I leave with nothing but gratitude. I leave knowing that this program is strong, that these young men are in good hands, and that the foundation we poured together will stand long after my footsteps fade from the sideline.
I remain committed to finishing out the recruitment season with our current seniors and assisting with the transition to the new head coach.
My family and I will forever be Phantoms. That will never change.
With love, respect, and a full heart,
Jeremy Blunt
What’s Next?
It will be interesting to see which direction Principal David Coccoli and Athletic Director Paul Macklin decide to go in to fill the large shoes of Blunt.
From his coaching staff, there is a former Head Coach in Sekou Wilson, who was at the helm of the Granby Comets in Norfolk from 2014-18.
If the Phoebus administration decides to go in a different direction with no connection to Blunt’s coaching staff, the job will likely attract some high-profile candidates, whether they currently reside in the Hampton Roads area or not.
Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Phoebus has advanced in the playoffs 25 consecutive times under its three accomplished coaches during that span – Dee, Sexton and Blunt. Regardless of what the roster looks like, the expectations have always been high on Ireland Street in Hampton since the turn of the century.
It also remains to be seen what’s next for Blunt, who certainly has the credentials to potentially move on to the collegiate level in some capacity if that’s something that interests him.
Matthew Hatfield has served as Publisher for VirginiaPreps.com since 2016 and been writing for the web site under the Rivals umbrella dating back to 2004. Matthew also has served as the Play-by-Play Voice for Old Dominion Women’s Basketball since 2021. Check out Hatfield’s Twitter page for more sports related updates. To contact Matthew, please e-mail [email protected], and be sure to Subscribe to CoVA Sports TV, where you can watch and hear his Podcasts.