{"id":12556,"date":"2025-10-06T09:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T13:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=12556"},"modified":"2025-10-09T08:57:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T12:57:47","slug":"former-pirate-new-girls-basketball-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/nassau\/former-pirate-new-girls-basketball-coach\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Pirate new girls basketball coach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Beth Jones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India Santana is back on her home court. The former Fernandina Beach High School girls basketball standout is now coaching her old team, and she couldn\u2019t be more pleased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came back to fulfill a legacy that I left behind, and it\u2019s just an honor, and it\u2019s a blessing to be here,\u201d said Santana, 35. \u201cNow is the time, and I\u2019m just ready to pour into the program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was India Johnson when she was setting school records at FBHS. The 5-foot-4 point guard was a four-year starter for the Pirates. She scored a career 1,357 points and had 311 assists, 267 rebounds and 376 steals while at FBHS. She scored 33 points in one game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her senior season (2007-8), Santana averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4.6 steals per game and helped steer FBHS to its first regional playoff appearance since the 1980s. The Pirates went 20-8 and were district runners-up to powerhouse Ribault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a tough one,\u201d Santana remembers. \u201cA couple of bad calls down the stretch caused us to get behind. It was a period where we were down one or two, and those calls jeopardized the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHad they gone in favor or called correctly, we probably would have come out with a district championship that year. It was huge to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana said the Ribault head coach didn\u2019t realize she was a senior and tried to woo her from FBHS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is my last year. I\u2019m done,\u201d Santana responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, she wasn\u2019t done. Santana went on to play two years at Santa Fe Community College, where she was a two-time conference academic selection and conference second-team player her sophomore season. She then transferred to Division I Texas State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI liked it there,\u201d Santana said. \u201cThe conference was good, and we did play some bigger Division I schools.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana still wasn\u2019t finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI ended up getting certified in sports training and did some sports performance training with a guy out of Texas who did sports performance training with the NBA, overseas players,\u201d Santana said. \u201cI ended switching agents and getting a deal in Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana was playing pro ball in Germany until 2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy next deal was in Italy, but I didn\u2019t go because the pandemic hit,\u201d Santana said. \u201cMy visa would have run out, and I would have been stuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana kept adding to her r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t let it die down,\u201d she said. \u201cI ended up getting my masters in sports management, and I felt like I connected every piece together, as a player, coach then training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd then went to play professional ball and now giving back to the program is just major. As a head coach, it\u2019s just phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana said when she returned home, she taught in Jacksonville for a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s not home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana then landed a job at Fernandina Beach Middle School, where she teaches seventh-grade accelerated math. She\u2019s been an assistant coach at both Yulee High School and FBHS, but this is her first head coaching position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She already has a game plan, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGrowth and development is the key,\u201d Santana said. \u201cI feel like there has been a lack for girls basketball for quite some time, and with me teaching at the middle school, I plan to bridge the programs. So, I\u2019m actually able to grow that program and it transfers to me here at the high school as the head coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s also planning a mentor program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy girls are the mentors for mentees at the middle school and kind of bridge that gap that I\u2019m noticing,\u201d Santana said. \u201cWith that progression and development, I think we will be able to run, in the years to come, a dynasty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana said the community she grew up in has welcomed her back with open arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe support and the love and the congratulations, it really is a blessing,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd, I\u2019m just grateful and thankful that it started at the middle school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana\u2019s former coach is excited for her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIndia was a strong leader on the court, both on the offensive and defensive ends,\u201d said Mike Landtroop, who coached Santana her junior and senior seasons at FBHS. \u201cShe led us past districts and into the playoffs her senior year. India always showed great leadership on and off the court and will use those same skills when coaching to get the wins.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the administration at FBHS is pleased with its new hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am extremely excited for our basketball program and Coach Santana,\u201d said Mike Woodard, athletic director at FBHS. \u201cWhat a great opportunity to have an alumnus lead our program – someone who already knows the pulse of the school, community and program and brings a ton of enthusiasm and Pirate pride. She truly bleeds blue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Santana said the first day of tryouts is Oct. 27, and the first game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

bjones@nassaunewsline.net<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
India Johnson, Women’s Basketball, Texas State Athletics, Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
India Santana is the new head coach of the girls basketball team at Fernandina Beach High School, her alma mater. Photo by Beth Jones\/Nassau NewsLine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
India Johnson, Women’s Basketball, Texas State Athletics, Submitted photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a>
India Santana is the new head coach of the girls basketball team at Fernandina Beach High School, her alma mater. Photo by Beth Jones\/Nassau NewsLine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Beth Jones India Santana is back on her home court. The former Fernandina Beach High School girls basketball standout is now coaching her old team, and she couldn\u2019t be more pleased. \u201cI came back to fulfill a legacy that I left behind, and it\u2019s just an honor, and it\u2019s a blessing to be here,\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":12557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156,185],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12556","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nassau","8":"category-nnl-sports"},"yoast_head":"\nFormer Pirate new girls basketball coach - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nassau NewsLine, NNL Sports By Beth Jones India Santana is back on her home court. 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