Story byThe News-PressDan DeLuca, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily NewsTue, December 2, 2025 at 10:02 AM UTC·15 min readSam Sirianni Sr. and Sammy Sirianni Jr. A father and son with the same name, and one synonymous with high school football in Southwest Florida. Sam, he’s the builder, reestablishing Fort Myers High School as a gridiron powerhouse, winning 244 games in 33 seasons, only three of which end with a losing record. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSammy, he’s the curator, first coaching alongside his father, then accepting the dual burden of replacing a legend and continuing a legacy of success. That task immediately became immeasurably harder when Sam lost his battle with cancer in October 2002, just two months after retiring. Health scare: Fort Myers football coach Sam Sirianni Jr. recovering from strokeWith the Green Wave in the midst of their season, Sammy set aside his grief and leaned on family, the blood one and the football one, though truth be told, they’d been one in the same as long as he could remember.
