Schools
Sarasota High School Football Coach Dies From COVID-19
The Sarasota High School football community is mourning the death of 49-year-old Elton Strawderman, known as "Coach E" by many.
SARASOTA, FL — The offensive coordinator for Sarasota High School’s football program has lost his battle with COVID-19.
Elton Strawderman — known as “Coach E” by many — died Thursday at 49.
“Coach E has passed on. What gives me peace is that Elton was such a strong warrior for Christ. I have zero question as to where he sits today,” Sarasota Head Coach Brody Wiseman tweeted Thursday. “He was a great man, who was a tremendous influence on all of us. Elton will stay with us, and his spirit will live in our program.”
Find out what's happening in Sarasotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The Sarasota football program also tweeted a tribute to Strawderman Thursday following his death.
“A missionary among coaches, may he rest in peace. We all carry a piece of him with us now. A sad day for our program, but a uniting one for our family. If we could all be a little more like Elton the world would be a better place. We love you Coach E,” the Sailors wrote.
Find out what's happening in Sarasotafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
His daughter, Morgan Strawderman, also shared her father’s death on Facebook.
“There’s no words that I can say to truly process this,” she wrote, adding, “I learned to love the lord from my mom and dad. They both live for their love for the lord. I know he is at peace and in heaven. I just know it. Please just pray for my family during this time.”
In a Jan. 25 Facebook post, days before his death, his son, Nate Strawderman, also a coach at Sarasota, said his father was hospitalized with pneumonia caused by COVID-19 for more than a week.
“My dad, as many, many people know, has the biggest heart for people and will go out of his way to help anyone his love for coaching kids and preaching the word has impacted so many people,” his son wrote.
A GoFundMe fundraiser organized for Elton Strawderman and his family by Wiseman raised more than $9,000 since it launched Jan. 20.
Strawderman has worked with Sarasota High School’s football program for the past year, Suncoast News Network reported. Before this, he was the offensive coordinator at Bradenton Christian School and Braden River High School.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
