Toni Softli brings more than 25 years of football leadership, scouting, coaching, and player development experience from the highest levels of the game to the Decatur High School football program. His resume at the professional and collegiate levels is exceptional, and his decision to invest that knowledge in the development of high school student-athletes speaks to a genuine passion for the growth of young players at the foundational stage of their careers.

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Prior to joining Decatur, Softli held some of the most prestigious personnel and evaluation positions in professional football. As Vice President of Player Personnel for the St. Louis Rams and Director of College Scouting for the Carolina Panthers, he played a central role in identifying, evaluating, and building rosters that featured Hall of Famers, Pro Bowl selections, and championship-caliber contributors. He also held leadership positions with the XFL, the NFL Players Association, and the Alliance of American Football—accumulating a breadth of experience across football’s most demanding professional environments.

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Softli’s coaching roots run deep at the collegiate level as well. He began his on-field coaching career at the University of Washington, working with the Huskies’ running backs during one of the most decorated periods in program history, including the 1991 National Championship and multiple Rose Bowl appearances. That background in championship football—combined with decades of evaluating and developing elite talent—gives Softli a perspective that is virtually unmatched in the high school coaching landscape.

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As Special Teams Coordinator and Running Backs coach, Softli provides Decatur student-athletes with NFL-caliber instruction grounded in fundamentals, discipline, accountability, and competitive excellence. His coaching philosophy places equal emphasis on preparation, growth mindset, football IQ, teamwork, and the development of character and leadership through the game—because he understands, better than most, that the habits built in high school echo across an entire lifetime.