Two members of Gulf Shores High School's defensive coaching staff are moving on to the Power 4 level following their time with the Dolphins.

Gulf Shores head football coach Mark Hudspeth typically reaches out to coaches or players with experience at higher levels when making hires. Now, he has several Power 4 coaches reaching out to him on behalf of his staff.

"It's pretty cool when a Power 4 school reaches out and hires coaches from a high school," Hudspeth said. "That's our third coach in the last two years to move onto a Power 4 school — I think that says we are hiring the right type of people that are getting these opportunities."

Eric McDaniel was a defensive assistant at Gulf Shores this past season, and will return to the college ranks as an assistant defensive line coach at Florida. McDaniel has prior collegiate experience both as a player and coach, including time working with defensive fronts at the FBS level before joining the Dolphins' staff.

McDaniel is a former Purdue defensive lineman (2009-2013). His coaching resume includes stops at Louisville, Army, Troy — where he helped win back-to-back Sun Belt titles — and Appalachian State.

Jaylen Swain also coached on the defensive side of the ball at Gulf Shores this past season and has accepted a similar defensive assistant role at West Virginia. Swain is a former college defensive lineman for Jacksonville State and an Oxford High School (AL) alum.

Swain played 59 games for the Gamecocks, recording 152 total tackles, 41 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. He earned All-Conference USA Second Team honors in 2024 and was an honorable mention in 2023. Swain was named All-ASUN Conference in 2021 and earned All-OVC Second Team recognition in 2020-21.

Though the Dolphins are losing a pair of defensive coaches, it was announced late in 2025 that defensive coordinator and former NFL assistant Brian Van Gorder will be returning for the 2026 season. Gulf Shores will now look to replace two assistants who helped lead one of the better defenses in Alabama high school football this past season; and Hudspeth says the plan is to always look up a level.