Coach Garrett Ruppel

Email: boysbball@destinhigh.org

Originally, of St. Louis/ Jackson, MO where he graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with B.A in Business Administration, Accounting, and M.A. in Secondary Education.

Prior successful positions include coaching stops in Missouri (Saxony Lutheran High), Pensacola (Pensacola Catholic), and Tampa/ Riverview (Bell Creek Academy) where each program has consistently competed at the highest level and maintained a culture built from collegiate level preparation and coaching geared toward player development and maximizing athlete opportunities with the micro goal of winning at the highest level and macro goal of building high character young men who can pursue and reach their goals moving into college and beyond.

Over the course of a decade coaching at the varsity level our programs have been fortunate to compete at the highest level providing our players lasting opportunities through the game of basketball. Each stop we have won district championships, regional playoff games, made deep playoff runs and most importantly helped provide a platform for our players to earn academic and athletic scholarships.

Winning Mentality and Dedication to Greatness.  At the forefront of Destin High School Basketball will be the pursuit of greatness in all aspects of student athlete and team program development. “My goal as the basketball coach at Destin High School will be to provide and lead an atmosphere and opportunity for basketball to further grow and develop young people as they pursue future success and goals. Destin Basketball will operate as a first-class college developmental program while maintaining itself as an extension of a premier academic institution and the surrounding community.

Assistant Coach – Esic Rhodes

Coach “E” Rhodes will serve as both a varsity assistant coach and head junior varsity coach for Destin High School going into the 23-24 season and programs future. Coach Rhodes has been coaching at the high school level as a lead assistant for the past 5 seasons as well as close to 20 years experience in coaching and training high level basketball talent.

Prior to coaching he had a successful collegiate career at both Western Oklahoma State College (Oklahoma) and Philander Smith College (Arkansas).

“Coach Rhodes brings an energy and competitive sense seen in coaching staff members in all top level programs. His collegiate playing experience and connections help provide a great platform for player growth and development. Destin High Basketball is excited to have him help lead our program.”

Assistant Coach – William McLean

Coach McLean joins Destin High School for the 23-24 season and beyond and will serve as a varsity basketball assistant. Prior to DHS Coach McLean has spent time coaching at Liza Preparatory School as well as Gulf Coast Elite Travel Program.

He brings a long history of basketball success in the gulf coast area having been a member of Fort Walton Beach High School’s best run in program history, including 3 district championships and back to back trips to the Final Four.

“His knowledge, connection to players, and willingness to further give back and grow the community are what sets Coach McLean apart; and we are excited for him to join our staff.”

Location: Destin Methodist Church

Address: 200 Beach Dr. Destin, FL 32541

We have a new way of making sure that all of our Destin High School student athletes are in compliance with FHSAA requirements. EVERY student will now submit the paperwork required via the online portal at AthleticClearance.com  as coaches will no longer be accepting the paper forms in person. Please see the instruction in the PDF below for help on how to submit all of the required paperwork via the website. 

Additionally, students will be required to complete three short courses (links listed below) and upload the course completion certificates into the Athletic Clearance Portal. Students will receive the certificates after they complete each course. We suggest doing that BEFORE starting the Athletic Clearance process.

Once all documents have been submitted, they will be reviewed by a school administrator. Once reviewed, you will receive an email stating your student has been cleared to participate or further documentation is required.  Students will NOT be allowed to tryout or practice until all required paperwork is uploaded & clearance has been given.   You will only need to do this once a year and if applicable, can be used for other sports. 

The Official FHSAA Link will have all of the additional PDF forms should you need them.

Tickets to all of the upcoming Destin High School Athletics Department events are now available for purchase at gofan.co. You can visit the website now or download the GoFan app to access all game schedules and event details. Start an account now to make sure you are ready to support your Destin Sharks during the upcoming season!

To begin, please review the information below and follow the instructions:

1) You can download the GoFan App on your phone, tablet, laptop, etc.  https://gofan.co/sign-up
2) Search School – Either “Destin High School” or search our opposing school if buying tickets for away games.
3) Select & Checkout
4) At the gate, you will open your ticket(s) via email or the GoFan app
5) Then you can select the ticket(s) you want to use
6) The gate attendant will direct you to press to validate tickets securely
7) A green checkmark will display to confirm that ticket(s) are valid
8) Enjoy your event!

Notes:  Once you have signed up for an account, you may sign-in to that account in the future by visiting https://gofan.co/sign-in. This is the OFFICIAL ticket application for all FHSAA Event. Most high schools in the panhandle use this app for their ticketing. You can transfer tickets to family & friends.