Mark Renna, head coach of the Brunswick football team, teaches linebacker technique during the first day of practice in August. Cooper Sullivan / The Times Record

Brunswick football coach Mark Renna is stepping down after two seasons with the program so he can spend more time watching his daughter play high school field hockey.

“I tell my players’ parents to enjoy their kids’ high school days, because four years goes by quick. I missed a lot of her games this past fall, and I don’t want to do that next year, so I’m taking my own advice,” Renna told the Times Record. “I miss coaching already, and it’s gonna be an adjustment, but I will figure it out.”

Renna joined Brunswick ahead of the 2023 season, the Dragons’ lone year of eight-man football. Brunswick went 6-4, including two postseason wins, and reached the Large School South final.

In 2024, the Dragons returned to 11-man football and competed in Class C South. Brunswick went 2-7, ending the season with five straight losses.

Renna notified Brunswick athletic director Kaili Phillips of his decision on Monday.

“We were saddened to hear of his decision, though, of course, (we) understand that family comes first,” Phillips said. 

Renna, who has 24 years of coaching experience, says he plans to remain around football in some capacity, just not as a head coach or in a way that interferes with his daughter’s schedule.