Bob Foos
You see a lot of pictures of Southwest Missourians on spring break enjoying the beach and sun in Florida – and probably dreaming about what it would be like to live there.
That was the case for Andrew and Amy Doennig, and now they’re following through with that dream.
The community initially got a clue something was up with the two Webb City High School teachers when Andrew announced last week that he was resigning as the baseball coach.
Then on Tuesday night, the School Board accepted both of their resignations and wished them good luck.
It’s true, Andrew says, that they were enticed by Florida while on vacation with their four kids. Several years ago, he says he and Amy would be “joking around that this would be a great place to live.
“We wondered if they’ve got any jobs.”
Then two years ago, they noticed that a fancy new school, Soundside High School, was being built. Andrew says he liked the opportunity of starting a baseball program from scratch, and he “took a shot at it.”
A “bunch of people” applied, but Andrew’s strong resume rose to the top. His record is 96-43 since he was promoted as an assistant to head coach in 2023. During his first three years, the Cardinals won the district championship and advanced to state the first two years. This year, the Cardinals were 28-4 before falling short in the district final this year. He was conference coach of the year twice.
“I want to sincerely thank the town of Webb City for its unwavering support of our program,” Andrew wrote on social media when he announced his decision to move on. “The passion this community has for its schools and its student-athletes is truly special.”
He says, “It’s definitely hard to leave somewhere like here,” especially because of all the friends he and Amy have made and all the kids they have taught and coached.
Andrew has also been an assistant football coach. As a teacher, he spent nine years in special education, one year in behavior intervention, and most recently three years teaching business courses.
Amy is a math teacher and has been hired to teach at Navarre High School, which is six miles from Soundside. Both schools are among eight in the Santa Rosa County School District.
Soundside is in Gulf Breeze, Fla., which is on a peninsula southeast of Pensacola.
Andrew and Amy are in a rush to pack up their family of six because their school calendar starts on Aug. 10. Football practice starts July 27. Their new house is six miles from the beach.
It will be different from Webb City, but Andrew says the area is similar because it has a small-town feel and the Hurricanes are passionate about sports.
