February 6, 2026
Mount Dora Football Coach Arrested; District Says No Prior Red Flags Found During Hiring
By Cindy Peterson
Mount Dora Football Coach Arrested; District Says No Prior Red Flags Found During Hiring
A newly hired Mount Dora High School football coach was arrested this week on an active warrant in Broward County, prompting his immediate dismissal and raising questions by the public about how the allegations were not identified during the hiring process.
Colby Erskin, 39, who had been on the job for less than a month, was arrested Feb. 5 in Sanford after deputies confirmed he had an active warrant out of Broward County. The warrant includes two charges: solicitation of a child and transmission of harmful materials to minors. The school district said the allegations do not involve any students in Lake County.
Lake County Schools officials said Erskin was terminated the same day the district became aware of the arrest.
“Mr. Erskin, who was hired less than a month ago as our football coach, was dismissed from his position yesterday after we learned that he had been arrested on a South Florida warrant for allegations that do not involve any of our students,” the district said in a statement. “We are cooperating with law enforcement and encourage anyone to come forward if you have anything to share regarding Mr. Erskin.”
According to a school board member, the charges stem from an FBI investigation, and nothing related to the case appeared during Erskin’s background check at the time of hiring. Because the warrant had not yet resulted in a conviction or publicly accessible criminal record, there were no indicators that would have alerted the district during the standard screening process.
Erskin was introduced as Mount Dora High School’s new head football coach during a meet-and-greet event on Jan. 15. Less than three weeks later, he was taken into custody and is currently being held at the Seminole County Jail without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m.
District officials said they are now working with contacts across the state to identify a replacement coach and emphasized their commitment to student safety.
“We are working with contacts around the state and hope to name a new coach soon,” the district said. “Thank you for your patience.”
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
