TFA boys basketball's Tarrik Mabon named 2A Coach of the Year

The honor comes after the first-year coach led the Royals to their best record since 2016-17 and first playoff win since 2021.

By Sam Albuquerque
| 12:00 a.m. April 4, 2025

Sports
High Schools

In his first season in charge of The First Academy boys basketball coach Tarrik Mabon has been named the FHSAA Class 2A Coach of the Year.

"I'm thankful for the recognition as all we do is for God's glory," Mabon said. "It's humbling to have people who believe in your work. Credit goes to the TFA Community, administration, faculty, students, our squad and (coaching) staff — Gerrod Trytten, Patrick Anderson, Ash Kohler and Chris Mitchell. They are my brothers for life. We're working very hard to build something special at TFA. It's such a blessed place and I'm very thankful to be here."

Mabon led the team to an 18-9 record — the most wins by the program since 2016-17 — and the Royals' first playoff win since 2021.

This honor actually marks the second year in a row Mabon has been named coach of the year; he was named Class D1-A Coach of the Year by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for his work at his previous coaching stop, The Mount Vernon School.

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Sam Albuquerque

A native of João Pessoa, Brazil, Sam Albuquerque moved in 1997 to Central Florida as a kid. After earning a communications degree in 2016 from the University of Central Florida, he started his career covering sports as a producer for a local radio station, ESPN 580 Orlando. He went on to earn a master’s degree in editorial journalism from Northwestern University, before moving to South Carolina to cover local sports for the USA Today Network’s Spartanburg Herald-Journal. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his lovely wife, Sarah, newborn son, Noah, and dog named Skulí.