St. Thomas Aquinas High School is proud to announce that Athletic Director Twan Russell has been selected as the Florida Coaches Coalition Southeast Region Athletic Director of the Year.
This prestigious honor is awarded to one Athletic Director in each of the Coalition’s eight regions and recognizes leaders who exemplify integrity, vision, and a commitment to building successful, education-based athletic programs.
Since serving as Athletic Director, Russell has elevated St. Thomas Aquinas Athletics through strong leadership, strategic program development, and an unwavering commitment to student-athletes. Under his guidance, Raiders Athletics has continued its tradition of competitive excellence while emphasizing character formation, accountability, and academic success. His leadership has strengthened relationships among coaches, student-athletes, parents, alumni, and the broader community, reinforcing the standard of excellence associated with St. Thomas Aquinas.
Serving as an Athletic Director requires far more than coordinating schedules. It demands leadership across multiple sports programs, supervision of coaches and staff, oversight of compliance and liability, collaboration with school administration, and consistent engagement with parents and stakeholders — all while ensuring student-athletes are supported at every level. Russell’s ability to balance these responsibilities while continuing to move the program forward has made a lasting impact on the school community.
The Florida Coaches Coalition was founded in part to ensure that leaders in education-based athletics receive recognition for their dedication and the sacrifices they make for their schools and communities. This award reflects that mission and celebrates Russell’s outstanding leadership.
Russell will be honored at the Athletic Director of the Year Awards Ceremony on Saturday, February 28 at the Westin Lake Mary.
